Pokémon: The Vision of His Future
by Keith E. Kimball
Summary: Second part of the Pokémon Future series. Ash Ketchum may have a bright new future ahead of him, but his past refuses to let go. Can Ash face the cold, hard truth of not just his own, but his father’s life…alone?
1. Chapter 1 Changing Lives

**Greetings once more, dear reader!**

**Allow me, the Narrator, to welcome you back to the fantastic future world of Pokémon!**

**So in our last episode---uh, oops! Sorry. Old habits die hard! Forgive me, I must get myself together; looks like I'm a little rusty!**

**Well, the last time we got together for a nice read, ten years had passed since you'd gotten a peek into the world of Pokémon because our show had finally gone off the air. Well, new episodes at least; I suppose there will always be reruns. But don't worry; I'm not bitter about it at all. Considering how warmly I was welcomed back in our first little get-together; it was like I'd never left! Thank you! You like me, you really like me! (sniff!)**

**Ahem! Lots of things had changed for our heroes and villains, as you can imagine! Brock and Misty have left a life on the road behind. They've settled down and assumed the mantle of Gym Leader in their respective hometowns. Brock has even found a loving wife in the form of Duplica, and their first child is on the way!**

**Jessie and James have gone straight, gotten hitched, and just had their first childbirth. Twins, no less! Ah, so many babies lately---sniff The miracle of life! Let me get a tissue, just a second---(Honk!)**

**Oh, and let me apologize to all you readers for misspelling Jessie's name before. When she approached me about the subject, I said, "Well, you say tomato, I say toy-mato---" What she replied was far too salty for a kid-friendly show like ours. Has the swelling in my black eye gone down yet, by the way?**

**Anyhow, there's no more Team Rocket to cause trouble for them or anybody else! Yep, Ash has had it pretty easy the last few years, even considering his duties as part of the Indigo Plateau's Elite Four. But things have really revved up all of a sudden! He's finally got the guts to propose to Misty; and hot on the heels of that big change in his life, Ash might have uncovered the truth of his father's fate---and he doesn't like it. Not one little bit!**

**So on that note, allow me to guide you as we look in again on the future world of Pokémon!**

**Pokémon:**

**The Vision of His Future**

by

Keith E. Kimball

The weather was being particularly kind to Pallet Town as day softly gave way to night. A light frosting of clouds just thick enough to send shafts of light filtering through themselves and onto the growing city was spread from horizon to horizon. The clouds seemed a little undecided; not dark enough to rain but too black to ignore. Thus shielded somewhat from the sun, the town found itself warmly nestling into its surrounding forest-covered hills and gentle coastline to enjoy a quiet sunset.

At least, most of Pallet Town, anyway.

For in one modest home, things were looking a little less rosy and a lot more harried.

Ash Ketchum was trying desperately to tie his necktie. His image in the mirror of his mother's dresser kept grimacing at him, literally reflecting his discomfort at wearing his own tuxedo. At least the old-fashioned tails, hanging down nearly to the back of his knees, mimicked his usual cowboy duster and restored some personal comfort. And if he could get this stupid tie on, he could put on his white formal gloves next. No way could he get away with wearing any sort of hat, however. He felt naked without it.

Passing by in the corridor, Delia glanced in. She stopped to sigh at her son, "Ash, would you like a hand with that?"

He glanced over at her, taking a split second to be envious. Delia hadn't forgotten about the big event; she'd had plenty of time to get ready. No last-minute rush culminating in a hurried Teleport (courtesy of Togetic) just to get to Pallet Town, either. By now Ash was starting to wish they'd gotten ready back in Cerulean City first.

Ash had to admit that his mom looked very pretty with her simple, elegant black dress on. Although she worked out regularly to keep her slender figure intact, Delia was a modest woman and the cut of her dress reflected that fact. So did her dark-colored pantyhose and full-length gloves. Unlike Ash, she seemed quite at ease in her hardly-used formal wear. Of course, a couple rows of necklaces, some nice earrings, and her hair pulled up into a formal but fashionable style helped offset the age lines starting on her eyes and mouth. He suddenly noticed the grey hair creeping into her temples was more pronounced than when he'd seen her last, nearly a month before.

Stubbornly, Ash returned to trying to position the necktie with the mirror's aid. Not to mention to avoid staring at her grey hairs any longer. "No, Mom, I've got it," he assured her, "I've gone to a lot of Arcanine and Ponyta shows as part of the Elite Four, you know."

She leaned on her bedroom's doorjamb, watching Ash continue to fiddle with the offending article of clothing, as a gentle grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "And let me guess; that nice lady Karen usually tied it for you?"

Letting his hands drop, Ash confessed, "Yeah."

"Come here," Delia advised as she stepped forward, hands outstretched. She hadn't failed to note Ash's stare; Delia just accepted her prematurely graying hairdo as a normal part of life. She still wasn't sure she was used to how tall her son was now, however. Only her medium-length high heels let her claim a couple inches of superiority at the moment. Delia took a second to cast a maternal eye of assessment over her son, noting he was maintaining the athletic build of a runner. _Good, good_, she thought.

As she worked, she chided gently, "You should just leave it tied all the time."

"I tried," Ash responded with a little grin of his own, "But somehow it always gets undone on me. I think it hates me."

"There," Delia smoothed the tie and set Ash's shirt collar over it, "Perfect!" Suddenly remembering her other charge, Delia turned back to the hallway. She called over her shoulder, "Go get the car out of the garage, please—the keys are on the kitchen table, next to my purse."

Ash considered going with her to check on his bride-to-be, but a glance at his watch reminded him of just how late they'd become. He settled for pulling his gloves on before doing as his mother bid him. As he left the bedroom behind, Ash noticed Pikachu bounding up the hallway to meet him. The diminutive electric mouse also had a tie (albeit a little bow-tie, really) and collar on, but since Pokémon didn't normally wear clothing at all, that was all that Pikachu had to live with. Sort of made Ash jealous just this once, actually.

As Pikachu fell into step with his master, Ash grinned, "Did Mom tie that for you, too?"

"_Pikachu!"_ the little creature chirped in confirmation.

Meanwhile, Delia stopped outside her bathroom's closed door to gently knock with one knuckle. "Feeling better, dear?" she called through the wooden obstacle.

Misty Williams managed to pull the door open. Delia was pleased to see that although she was a little shaky and a bit flushed in the face, her future daughter-in-law had gotten her own evening dress on.

It was Misty's favorite design; the dress echoed the elegant lines of a Goldeen. Most of the dress, including the strapless bodice, was pure white. The floor-length skirt was tight about halfway down her thighs until it billowed out in an imitation of ruffled fins tinged with red. And the once-skinny tomboy now sported a fair figure to show off with it. Misty also had her best necklace on, accentuating the peek of her cleavage. She hadn't had the time or energy to change her hairdo from its usual twin crescents framing her face; just her earrings were different.

Misty pulled herself up to her full height. With her own long dress heels on, it made Misty eye-to-eye with Delia for once. The movement made Misty's head swim a little. She was forced to lean on the doorjamb slightly. "Yes," she responded with a wan smile, "I think I'm better, now. Nothing left to throw up, I suppose."

Delia cocked her head to one side, her expression bemused yet inscrutable. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay home tonight? I can whip up a little something, Ash will be fine by himself."

The redhead smiled again at her future husband's mother as she smoothed her skirt a little. "After all this effort to get here? Ash would kill me. And it's bad enough we're late because of me." Turning back toward the bathroom cabinet for a dab of perfume, Misty used her spare hand to rub her flat, hard stomach gingerly. "I've heard of teleport sickness before," she continued with forced cheerfulness, "I was always afraid of it; never liked to have Togetic do it. Guess it finally caught up to me---but we'd have never made it otherwise. Sorry to be such trouble, Delia. And thanks for calling again. If you hadn't, we'd have missed the opening night entirely."

Once more Delia stepped forward, helping Misty pull on her elbow-length gloves. "Hmm, teleport sickness, yes," Delia cooed gently, "Is there something about your little—illness—you and Ash aren't telling me, dear?"

For a second, Misty stopped to give Delia a very quizzical look. "No. Why?"

"Are you sure?" Delia was careful to meet Misty's gaze directly, drawing up her own eyebrows in her best trustworthy expression. Something about the little glimmer dancing in Delia's wide brown eyes said she already knew exactly what was going on here; she just wanted to be officially let into the loop.

A little touch of her irritation over getting so sick, so fast, colored Misty's voice as she responded to this bizarre questioning. "I'm not sure what you mean, Delia."

"Oh." Delia's face fell and the glimmer dimmed as she pondered this for a moment. Misty took advantage of the reprieve to put on some lipstick. But she knew Delia's measuring look wasn't missing a single movement. Misty found herself blushing slightly (although she wasn't sure why) when she finally dared meet the elder woman's eyes once more.

Finally Delia reached over to open the bathroom cabinet. She tapped a box on the shelf with one finger, adding softly, "Perhaps you'd like to check before we go out tonight, dear. Ash should have the car out by now; we'll be waiting there." And as Delia left, Misty noted the return of a little spring to the other woman's step. She couldn't see Delia's face to confirm if it was a renewed surge of hope that caused it or not but she was pretty sure she knew the answer anyway.

Although she still wondered what the heck this was all about.

Until she looked into the cabinet and saw it was a home pregnancy test.

Misty felt her face turn white. Suddenly all those jokes Delia had made at their last meeting, the ones about Misty being doomed to visit the maternity ward soon, weren't so funny anymore.

With hands suddenly trembling even more than they had when her nausea had gripped her before, she reached for the box.

**--Then--**

Nearly thirty-four years earlier---

Beneath the Viridian City Gym lay a small complex of sub-basements. Storage, the furnace and water heaters, electrical components; very ordinary things. Very boring, very common things that just about any Pokémon Gym had just about anywhere in the world.

But beneath that; well, that was a completely different story.

The location of Team Rocket's world-wide headquarters was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the entire organization. It was kept that way by being mostly a information and human resources control center. Only the most important, most trustworthy field agents would actually come to headquarters in those days. The rest received communications through so many doubled and rerouted avenues that even the most determined Officer Jenny couldn't track it all back to its source.

And one of the main reasons for keeping that bit of information safe was to keep an even deeper, darker secret. For once an observer knew the Where, they could easily guess the Who. Who was in charge of Team Rocket, that is. Indeed, how could the Viridian City Gym Leader be unaware of the evil group operating right out of her building?

But with the secret safe, only those who actually worked within those hallowed halls knew the true identity of their leader. Those without answered to a shadowy figure they knew simply as Madam Boss.

There was, however, one person who was different. He was not a field agent. He was not an office worker. In fact he wasn't an official member of Team Rocket in any capacity whatsoever.

Still he knew exactly who Madam was and where she worked to boot.

Giovanni was priding himself on this fact very much at the moment. It made the ten-year-old boy feel a lot better. As if he wasn't being led by Madam's secretary through the hallways for just any old boring reason. Instead of having to sit and wait for The Boss to finish her work. No, he was on his way for an important mission. Yeah, that was it. Because he knew stuff, and he was important, just like Madam Boss herself.

In reality, of course, how could he not know Madam Boss' true identity? She was his mother, after all.

Giovanni did his best to keep that thought from popping up and bothering his little vision of future glory.

Oh, great. Now Madam's secretary had stopped at a corridor junction, engaging some guy in conversation. The two adults seemed very interested in each other. Giovanni got the feeling their talk could take awhile. He wished he was important enough that she wouldn't delay like that. Maybe he should tell Madam Boss about it; surely she thought Giovanni was important. Surely---

His boredom and frustration increasing, Giovanni tuned in to the adults' conversation for lack of anything better to do.

The young man was saying, "---but I can't tonight; probably not for awhile after either. I'm off on an assignment."

"Again?" the secretary quizzed, "With who?"

"Calamity Jane," the youth responded.

Immediately the secretary laughed. "Glad I'm not stuck with an awful nickname like that," she added.

Giovanni found himself striding over inbetween the two. He was tall for his age, but still far below the grown-ups. His face was about even with the secretary's rib cage; he had to stare upwards to meet her gaze unflinchingly. Giovanni still charged with all the seriousness he could muster, "Don't call her that. Her codename is Agent 13, and she's the best field agent Madam Boss has!"

A condescending smile quickly formed on the woman's lips. She nodded to her own suitor, still smiling, "Oh, my! Looks like Calamity Jane has herself a gentleman caller!" Then she put both hands on the small of her own back before arching herself upwards a bit. Thus emphasizing the way her uniform pulled taut across her bustline mere inches from Giovanni's face, the secretary added, "But I suppose you are at that age when you start noticing girls, hmm?"

Giovanni's face flushed, but not just with anger. He hadn't thought of it until the woman mentioned it, but he **had** been thinking about Jane a lot lately. Something about her voice, perhaps, or maybe even her shape. For despite being nearly as old as Madam Boss (downright ancient in the boy's opinion), Jane had a very girlish shape; even more so than the secretary facing him.

He had also been wondering why it mattered to him all of sudden. It's not like it was a secret that girls were built very differently from boys, after all. It was what made them girls to start with. Before it hadn't mattered; it was simply a fact of the world. Like the sun being yellow and grass being green.

Yet lately it had seemed far more important than ever before. Sort of.

The grown-ups recognized the flash of embarrassed appreciation for the woman's display in his eyes. They laughed again, harder and meaner, which only fanned the flames of Giovanni's sudden anger. "I'm not her caller!" he barked back, "I'm not a gentleman either! And you should show her some respect!"

A cool female voice drifted down the corridor, "Perhaps you could spare some respect for the young master as well."

The adults snapped to attention, their faces reddening quickly.

Giovanni whirled to spy the form of Jane Miyamoto herself standing nonchalantly just around the corner. As always, she wore her Team Rocket uniform with confidence and ease. The fact that she had a bulky long-term camping backpack, stuffed with necessary equipment, strapped onto her back didn't diminish Jane's poise one bit. One hand on her hip, the other gently stroking her chin, Jane surveyed the scene for a long moment. Dark green eyes, framed by a huge hairdo dyed bright purple, watched wryly.

For some reason he couldn't pin down, Giovanni felt a little ashamed that Jane had overheard his part of the conversation too. He backed up a little to the secretary's side, unconsciously joining the group of Jane's victims.

Jane let go of her chin in favor of shooing Giovanni safely up the corridor a little. He retreated gratefully.

For a moment more, Jane let her subordinates squirm. The twin projections of her hairdo were frozen by her hairspray in the act of racing straight down, then curling up on themselves just past her shoulders. At the moment, they looked more like big devilish ram's horns than ponytails, swaying slightly to catch up with the rest of Jane as she finally moved slowly forward.

Gently, she asked of her fellows, " 'Calamity' Jane, is it?"

The youth responded as if he was facing a drill sergeant. Which, Giovanni supposed, he was. "Yes, ma'am! Because it's such a calamity for Team Rocket's enemies when you show up! Ma'am!"

"Is that so?" Jane wondered very carefully. Hand back to her chin, she seemed to ponder this for a moment. Then Jane asked smoothly, "And would that be the only reason, hmm?"

The two being interrogated were close enough to each other that the boy could elbow the girl's back for a response without Jane seeing. The secretary responded to the prompting, "Yes, Agent 13!"

"Really?" Jane effused, "And here I thought it might have something to do with my fondness for the Old West. Don't tell me I've bored either of you with my tales from history, have I? Or are you two trying to say I'm getting a little long in the tooth—perhaps a bit of history—myself?" Jan leaned forward slightly, scrutinizing their faces closely.

The couple couldn't decide on the best response to that. They remained silent and, to their credit, strictly poker-faced.

Satisfied, Jane pretended to mull it over a little. "Calamity Jane," she finally observed, "I think I like it."

Her victims deflated; just a little.

Until Jane added, "I think I'll mention it to The Boss. If she likes it too, all well and good. But if she happens to think it might defame the reputation of Team Rocket, well---" Jane spread her hands helplessly with a little knowing grin before finishing, "Perhaps she could find a way to make you take your responsibilities to the team more seriously."

The girl was quick to bark, "We do take our jobs very seriously, Agent 13!"

"Do you?" Jane's eyes grew sharp as a scalpel. Her accusing finger poked not the secretary, but her fellow field agent right in the chest. "Where's your equipment? Have you even been to Supply yet? You don't look ready for our assignment at all, young man!"

The boy's face turned white, "Agent 13, may I be excused to get---?"

"Go!" she barked. But as the boy moved to go past her, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled his face close to hers. "Keep in mind," Jane spoke in a very low, serious voice, "I don't have time to replace you or you'd be off my team right now. You've got a chance to impress me. Don't waste it." Receiving a nod, Jane let him go. The youth set off up the hallway as quickly as if a Blaziken had set fire to his shorts.

Any relief the secretary might've felt was short-lived. "And you," Jane rounded on her smoothly, "Bad enough you're holding up my coworker from his assignment, but you're keeping Madam waiting for her own son too! I doubt she appreciates having her valuable time wasted."

"Ma'am!" the secretary returned, "May I be excused! Come, Giovanni---"

"I don't think so," Jane interjected calmly.

"Ma'am?" the younger woman replied, horror spreading across her face.

"You have my team's travel arrangements to make," Jane pointed out, "Since you were taking so horribly long, I left the details on your desk. Run ahead and get on it, now! I'll take charge of Master Giovanni."

"Yes, Agent 13!" the secretary double-timed it away gratefully.

Finally, Jane turned to Giovanni. "And as for you, young sir," she began.

Giovanni automatically recoiled for her outstretched mitt, but Jane wanted a handshake, not to give him a rebuke. He clasped her hand nervously as Jane politely smiled, "Thank you for defending me; that was very kind."

The moment's simple, honest appreciation from her completed Jane's transformation from just another adult to something much more in Giovanni's eyes. The harsh lights of the corridor were dulled by the highlights of her hair; the glimmer of her eyes, the gentle glow of her clean skin. Her lips and cheeks, unadorned with makeup, still shone bright and soft. He was so close he could smell a quick waft of her perfume; the scent of a country breeze.

He realized he was still pumping her gloved hand gently with a grip akin to a cold, wet, floppy Magikarp.

Jane's eyes sparkled as she said quietly, "You can let go now."

Turning beet red, Giovanni did so.

"Come on, young master," Jane added firmly, "Time is money, and both are wasting." But as she started up the corridor, something fell from an unsecured pocket of her backpack.

Instantly, Giovanni scooped it up. Curiosity automatically made him scan the photograph. A young girl, maybe three or four, was the sole occupant of the close-up. She had on a nice dress and a very fancy hairdo, suggesting some wonderful (albeit formal) occasion. Except things must've been ruined for her somehow, as the girl was bawling her eyes out. Giovanni felt a stab of shame at seeing what was obviously a very private picture. Hoping Jane hadn't noticed him looking at it, he turned its blank side up before calling out, "Agent 13, you dropped this."

"So I did," she confirmed crisply at the sight. Gently, she extracted the photo from Giovanni's grip to study it in her own for a moment. Without a change in her expression or her voice, she showed it to him and asked politely, "Do you know who this is, Giovanni?"

Sensing the bittersweet nature of the subject, Giovanni didn't trust his voice. He shook his head "no" instead.

"This is my daughter, Jessica," Jane responded, "This picture's a little old. She's almost half your age, now." More to herself than to Giovanni, Jane continued musing, "Has it really been so long?"

Giovanni couldn't help himself. He wanted to help her again, to see Jane smile at him again. "So long since what, Agent 13?"

Jane grew very serious. She firmly put a hand on Giovanni's shoulder, but she did not bend over to level her gaze to his. The adult was, Giovanni sensed, addressing him not just seriously; but as an equal for a moment. The thought gave him a rush of pride.

"Giovanni," Jane began, "Look around you. You know what this place is, what Team Rocket stands for, what it means? Do you understand it?"

He nodded, but Jane shook her head. "No, not yet, not fully, you don't," Jane disagreed. To take the sting out of her words, she squeezed Giovanni's shoulder gently. "You're too young. But still, you are growing; and if you begin taking the things Madam Boss tells you seriously, you're off to a great start. Pay attention to her, Giovanni. She hopes you'll follow in her footsteps one day. And if that happens, you'll have to know what you're doing or you'll run everything she's built into the ground."

Giovanni's eyes bulged at the prospect, "Really? What---what can I do? To get ready, I mean?"

"Well, maybe you'll take my personal motto to heart," Jane returned, "Step #1: Profit! #2: Prioritize! #3: Economize! #4: Work hard! #5: Pokémon!" So saying, Jane tucked the photo into her uniform pocket for better keeping and set off up the corridor. Giovanni fell into step slightly behind her.

Hoping to cheer her up somehow, Giovanni observed solemnly, "I'm sure that Jessica has learned a lot from you too, Agent 13. She must be very proud to be your daughter."

Jane did not stop walking; nor did she quicken her pace. She did turn her head slightly, but the spikes of her hair still kept her expression hidden from Giovanni when she replied very quietly, "Sometimes things add up to #6: Adoption. My final lesson for you today is this, Giovanni: Learn from others' mistakes, not just their victories."

The boy did not dare question her further. For her part, the only other thing she said to Giovanni before she left on her assignment was a simple goodbye.

With that, she was gone. Her little heart-to-heart echoed in his mind every day for a week as he waited eagerly to hear her voice once more.

And then Giovanni overheard the reports told to his mother; that Jane died at the hands of Mew, the Pokémon of legend.

Jane's last words became a haunting mantra of his dreams for years to come.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	2. Chapter 2 A Task Set

**Now**

Outside the home he had grown up in, Ash fidgeted by the station wagon. Pikachu, Misty's Togetic, and his mother's Mr. Mime (nicknamed Mimey) were still his only companions. Where were the girls? It was getting late and they still had a long car drive to go. He felt a stab of guilt in his heart; if he'd just remembered the whole thing to start with, they could've had a nice, normal plane flight or a bus ride as Misty preferred.

Finally Delia appeared on the porch: alone. At the unspoken question in Ash's eyes, Delia piped up, "I think Misty needs some more time to recover, dear. Go ahead without us. We'll just have some nice soup and quiet time together, don't worry about us!" She smiled reassuringly as Delia clasped her hands together before her chest in a girlish fashion, radiating innocence and confidence.

Ash bit his lip as a few hairs on the back of his neck sprung up. But even as the sudden suspicion of his mother crossed his mind, Ash mentally sent it packing with a blast of renewed guilt. He couldn't help but feel like he'd caused Misty's bout of sickness, although he was at a loss for exactly how.

For a split second he considered staying with Misty anyway; but no. If nobody went, that would eliminate the reason for the whole trip to Pallet Town. Might as well get something accomplished. Ash knew lots of people developed teleport sickness if they used their Pokémon to travel too much; hence how vehicles of every sort were still commonplace.

And although the variant of motion sickness had come on strong, it was no more fatal than a bad stomach flu or cold. Perfectly ordinary things that Delia had nursed him through in his own youth. Misty would be in very capable hands.

He called back, "Tell Misty I'll only be out for a couple of hours. I'll pick her up some medicine from the Pokémart on my way back, too. Be back soon, okay?"

Delia nodded, accepting Ash's decision calmly. "Of course, sweetheart. Go and make our humble little Pallet Town proud, now!"

As his mom turned back into the house, Mimey and Togetic followed her. Ash got in the family car and with Pikachu riding shotgun, set off for the opposite end of town. Ash knew he couldn't get a trip from Togetic anyways. Teleport only worked on line-of-sight **or** if a Pokémon had physically visited a location before. Since Misty had kept her distance from the Morgan family the last few years, her little Normal- and Flying-Type would be no help. Besides, Ash felt no need to push his luck courting teleport sickness himself any further today.

One trip across town later and Ash was nearing his goal. As his car began rolling down the street in the twilight, Ash took advantage of the slight downward slope to get a good look at the gym.

The city itself had been growing rapidly over the last five years or so. Which made it a real wonder how the Morgans had gotten so much land; the multi-building facility was already surrounded by other completed, working businesses whose construction hadn't been delayed. Or maybe the size of the grounds wasn't such a big surprise after all. Ash could easily recall lazy childhood days wishing his little burg had a Pokémon Gym of its very own. Looked like a lot of financial backers felt the same way.

The gym's multiple buildings reminded Ash of a quiet college with clean, straight lines, earthy colors, and plenty of well-groomed greenery across its grounds. He had to admit that for a place that hadn't officially begun its first semester yet, the Pallet Town Gym looked respectable, professional, and self-assured to the hilt.

Until he got a closer look. Several of the rows of shrubbery had been carefully trimmed to resemble the three most prominent figures of the gym. And there were a few statues of those selfsame personages scattered here and there along the walking paths. Just past the main gate, in the middle of the parking lot's circular rotunda, was a huge fountain depicting the trio as well. The main gate itself was a monolithic affair of sturdy oak, ringed by blazing torches, that reminded Ash of an old movie starring a giant Primeape on a rampage.

The main gate was thrown open to allow dozens of people to mix n' mingle. Their shadows were caught and thrown by the various lights into a thousand sparkling jewels flowing across the trees. It looked like a pretty good turnout. Maybe this would be fun after all. A gentle gust of wind carried a nice whiff of something smelling very tasty through Ash's open window.

"C'mon, Pikachu!" Ash smiled broadly, "let's be good guests and get plenty to eat!" _"Pi-Pikachu!"_

Shortly after passing through the main gate, Ash found himself directed to a parking spot by a flashlight-waving valet. He blushed; as he approached, the young man could see his name on a sign reserving the parking space for himself in big, bold letters. Right up front too; for a split second, Ash hoped his tardiness would allow him and Pikachu to mingle into the crowd unnoticed anyway.

But of course not. Anybody who'd taken the trouble to clear a spot for a guest of honor would surely be waiting for him to arrive, wouldn't he?

Ash barely had time to shut off the car's lights and ignition before his door was gently but firmly pulled open. He grinned sheepishly at his friend as James helped Ash out of the car.

James Morgan was beaming point-blank at the Pokémon Master, "Hello, old friend! So glad you could make it after all! I was becoming concerned; until I realized your little plot!" Clad in his own light blue tux with shiny metallic lapels, James winked broadly at Ash. "Fashionably late as well as fashionably dressed, of course! A man after my own heart."

Ash had to laugh. "Thanks, pal! But I think we both know the truth, here."

"Certainly," James assured with a straight face, then bent down to greet Pikachu on a somewhat even footing. "Not a bad cut to your jib either, I must say, my good Pokémon," he assured the Electric-Type.

Pikachu chirped a happy greeting as the three stepped onto the curb. And why not? Sometimes the human's ostentatious nature could grate, sure, but he had a deep and true love of Pokémon that made Pikachu feel patient now that he'd gotten to know James.

The fall of Team Rocket years ago hadn't just been the loss of a job to James. It had been much more. It had almost been a spiritual epiphany; a freedom of his very soul. Without the need to impress anybody (save, perhaps, his wife) anymore or to try and embarrass his rich parents with dirty deeds, James had finally gotten to fulfill his life-long desire. To be an ordinary Pokémon Trainer; learning, loving, and laughing with his Pokémon in one big happy family. And of course, thanks to that aforementioned wife, they had a few new additions to the human side of that family one month ago.

Some friends, such as Ash and Pikachu, had only sweetened things further. Now, with their Pokémon Gym finally opening, James was nearly bursting with warm pride as everything he had worked hard to make for so very long was coming true.

Yet for a second a look of true hurt framed his wide green eyes. "Oh, dear," he observed, "I had hoped that your charming betrothed would finally let bygones be bygones after all. I do hope it wasn't anything I said at our last meeting---?"

"Nope," Ash was quick to assure, "She wanted to come, but she got sick."

"Really?" James' eyebrows flew up; Ash noticed that the slightly taller man had somehow gotten his one errant lock of hair off his forehead and into the rest of his blue hairdo where it belonged for the evening. Probably some of his wife's industrial-strength hairspray. As the trio strode down the sidewalk, James slipped an arm around Ash's shoulder to lean close.

Conspiratorially, James whispered, "Is she vomiting?"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed.

James continued, "But no fever?"

"No fever," Ash said.

James added, "No chills either?"

"Nope, none of those either," Ash replied.

James had been politely but briskly steering them toward the main building's door. Now he pulled away, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as his eyes sparkled over his shoulder at them. "Really. Interesting set of symptoms, there. How droll. I'm not sure if I should express sorrow for her condition or congratulations."

Ash was taken aback. "It's just teleport sickness."

For a second, Ash had the distinct impression James was choking back a laugh behind his hand. But he didn't get a chance to grill his friend; James' free hand was pushing him through the gym's main door and right into the limelight.

Jessie Morgan descended on him swiftly. Before she reached him, Ash had a couple of seconds to take in the way her low-cut evening gown clung to her. The narrow shoulder straps and thigh-high slit on one side of the flowing skirt gave her a touch of class to go with her sexy sass. Said sass was definitely being supplied by the way she was stalking over to him, high heels clicking and earrings swinging; the bright red of her dress and shoes matching her hair. Which, Ash was shocked to notice, Jessie still had cut off at her shoulders in short spikes. Perhaps the new hairdo wasn't just a pregnancy fad after all.

James' better half paused mere feet from Ash, propping one of her wine-red gloved arms on her hip; the other under her chin as she observed tartly, "Well, well. So glad you made it, being a guest of honor and all. No entourage this evening?"

Ash noted a group of reporters in her wake. Video cameras and more traditional flashbulbs were plying their trade as he responded, "Sorry about that, Jessie. It was an unavoidable delay. Please, accept my apologies." He knew that the reporters were here to cover the gym's opening; but Ash also knew from long experience that any other gossip they could acquire (particularly on a Pokémon Master) was fair game.

So Ash leaned close to Jessie, putting her between himself and the reporters, to add much more quietly, "Misty got really sick and Mom stayed home with her."

Jessie's eyebrows quirked. "Really? Hmm, too bad your little redhead isn't more like me. I'm fit as a Machamp." With a wide grin, Jessie stepped back and waved an arm to indicate her fabulous figure. Obviously, Jessie had applied her workout regimen religiously since giving birth. Her waist was tight and narrow; the only gains seemed to be in the right places, making Jessie's reborn curves more dangerous than ever. Pictures flashed and cameras whirred as Jessie beamed at her public.

Ash had to admit that even though Misty had finally bloomed long ago, Jessie still had a distinct advantage in the hourglass department. The sudden realization that he was, indeed, studying Jessie's figure made Ash break into a blush. Something Jessie's keen blue eyes didn't miss. Her gaze danced and her lips turned up with amusement.

Ash threw off her look and tried to regain his poise, replying, "So am I forgiven or not?"

Before his co-Gym Leader could reply, James put a hand on Ash's shoulder to address her. "I daresay the matter is settled. Let's adjourn to the banquet table, shall we?"

That sounded like a very good idea to Ash. He stepped forward, but Jessie shook her head once sharply; earrings swinging again. "Oh, no-no-no, husband dear," Jessie smiled a slow, wolfish smile, "Such an insult can only be answered one way in a proper Pokémon Gym."

Ash moaned aloud, raising his hands desperately. "C'mon, Jessie! I said I was sorry. Look, we just got here! I don't want to battle right now---we haven't had anything to eat in hours!" Pikachu backed up Ash's sentiments with, _"Pikachu!"_

Jessie took a couple steps closer to her husband's side, her wry yet steely gaze never leaving Ash. James let go of Ash to step up to her, reinforcing her position. Jessie purred, "My, my. What a whine that was! How unbecoming for an adult, much less an important Pokémon Master. Does your mother know you still do that at your age?"

Ash's hands unconsciously balled into fists at his hips and his face was probably red, judging by the burning sensation---but he ultimately refused to be goaded. Jessie did have **one** point; he was an adult now and he should behave like one.

Even if she wasn't.

But he found himself saying, quietly and coldly, "You were a lot nicer before---uh, that is---" It seemed much too dirty pool to finish the sentence; Ash found his momentary anger flowing away at his own half-completed accusation.

Jessie smirked at him via the side of her mouth the reporters couldn't see. "You mean when I was pregnant?" she replied too softly for the newshounds to hear, "Yes, yes, I noticed it myself. My hormones were all out of whack and I was just full of maternal love for the whole wide world; what can I say?" Her smile grew larger, sharper, and her voice returned to a normal volume as Jessie added, "I feel **much** better now."

Meowth popped up near Pikachu. Tugging on his own tuxedo shirt's tie (but still lacking any pants), the Pokémon grinned at Ash and Pikachu alike, _"Heh, too bad for youse two. Da Big 'B' is back, and boy, has she gots an itch!"_

James was forced to physically cut between his wife and his friend with a chopping motion of one hand. "Now, now. We're all Pokémon League professionals here. And we all know what bad form—not to mention bad **luck**—it is to have a match on a gym's opening night. There's always tomorrow for such things."

His words were true. To James and Pikachu's evident delight alike, Ash and Jessie softened visibly. Suddenly thunderstruck with inspiration, James added, "Ooo, and don't forget the future Mrs. Ketchum, Jessie! Once she's feeling better, the four of us could have a Double Battle!"

"Wonderful!" Jessie quickly moved between her husband and Ash now, drawing an arm around each man's shoulders. She clasped the boys close to either side, her firm grip eliciting polite (if insincere) smiles to echo her own, as the trio still faced the waiting cameras. Jessie proclaimed, "You heard it here! The Pallet Town Gym's first ever Pokémon battle will be a Dream Match! Be there at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning or be square!"

An energetic burst of flashbulbs blinded Ash momentarily. Pikachu was privately glad he was so short for once; he'd been left out of the pictures and the glare alike. James whispered to Jessie, "Tomorrow? I meant in a couple of days, dear---"

As the reporters bent to their instruments to recap for the live audience, Jessie released her hubby. But she kept her grip on Ash tight. He was the same height as her under normal circumstances; but tonight her stiletto heels put Jessie way up there by comparison. She was forced to stoop notably for an even gaze. Her eyes were narrow and her voice low as she hissed, "I've been dreaming about beating you for a long time."

Ash managed to keep his gaze locked to hers from the start, responding, "Yeah. Ever since we met, I'd say. Keep on wishing, Jessie; maybe Jirachi will hear you someday."

Instead of snarling, Jessie grinned at the thought. As Jessie swept away in a swish of skirt to attend to other duties, James obediently fell into step behind. But a touch on his elbow from Ash stopped the elder man short. "Hey, buddy," the youth added to one half of the gym's leaders, "Sorry about that. I mean, uh, I didn't mean to pick a Pokémon battle with her---or stare at her, or anything---"

James waved the concern away, smiling honestly and broadly, "Ah, but she **did**, now didn't she? Oh, don't let that bother your pretty little head, Ash! I know full well my loving, faithful wife just likes to rattle you any way she can. One of her little idiosyncrasies, you know. She's so flamboyant!" James turned back, admiring how his lady love was still controlling the chaos of opening night from afar.

But only for a moment. When James turned back to Ash, there was more than an echo of Jessie's predatory look in his own eyes. "Besides, I daresay I might enjoy a rematch with you and Little Miss Red. For old times' sake, hmm?" Leaving Ash to ponder that, James calmly moved off to rejoin his wife.

Meowth chortled, _"Good luck to yas tomorrow, kiddo. Yer gonna need it,"_ before joining his friends.

The renewed grumble of hunger from his hopeful belly reminded Ash where his priorities lay at the moment. Shrugging off the whole thing for now, he nodded to Pikachu and the pair headed for the buffet together.

A pretty blonde woman in a clean white uniform appeared to bar the way. "Excuse me, Mr. Ketchum--?" she chirped hopefully. A sealed envelope and a nicely folded piece of paper was in one hand; the other held her pen at the ready.

Ash moaned (inwardly this time). "Please, miss, just let me grab a bite. Then I'll give you an autograph, okay?" The girl giggled, "Oh, no, sir! Well, actually, since I need you to sign for your message, I suppose I do need your autograph after all."

"Oh," Ash replied, "Thanks. Guess I owe you an apology." He signed the lady's receipt sheepishly. "No worries, sir," she grinned right back, "You enjoy your dinner, now." She passed the envelope over before taking her leave politely.

Ash tucked the envelope under his arm as, at long last, he finished his trip to the food. After passing an apple down to Pikachu, the young man proceeded to start loading up a plate. He found his curiosity warring with his hunger, however. Soon, with a grumble, Ash decided to compromise. The envelope was ripped open one-handed as his fork continued spearing grub for his plate.

It was hard to unfold the letter and read it while still loading up his dinner, but an old food-handlin' pro like Ash managed it.

At least, until what he was reading truly sunk in.

Ash's fork hand froze. He held the letter up to the light, rereading it quickly. It said exactly what it had the last time:

"_**Master Trainer-**_

_**Blackthorn City Gym. Tomorrow. This letter will reach you no later than 6 o'clock; hurry to the airport and you will catch the last flight.**_

_**Bring your Earth Badge if you dare.**_

_**I'm waiting."**_

No signature. For a second, an image of Sir Lawrence Talbot the 3rd floated across Ash's mind. But no; despite being behind the recent events at Sternbreak Island, Lawrence III hadn't been present at the hospital afterwards. He'd missed that particular confrontation. So the part about a Gym Leader badge Ash had earned long ago couldn't be luring him into a trap.

No, the letter had to come from the real deal.

From Giovanni, his father.

A glance at his watch merely confirmed what Ash already knew. Misty's illness had already put him way past the 6 o'clock deadline. No airplane for him. But Ash knew another set of wings that just might fill in. Absently, he crumpled up the letter before pitching it into a nearby trash can.

Ash noticed Pikachu was tugging on his pant leg insistently, gazing up with wide brown eyes. _"Pika? Pika! Pikachu!"_ The half-eaten apple lay at Pikachu's tiny feet, forgotten.

"C'mon, Pikachu," Ash said quietly, "We've got some more old friends to see tonight."

**--Then--**

Twenty-four years earlier---

The hand of Madam Boss slapped a clipboard down on her desk. The resulting clatter, not to mention knowing what the report on the clipboard said, didn't do anything to dislodge the wiseguy smirk adorning Giovanni's face. He remained seated in a visitor's chair across from her as Madam Boss fumed.

She was still an extraordinarily beautiful woman. Besides her dedication to keeping herself fit, Giovanni also admired her fashion sense. A dark red business suit, cut to fit her shape snugly, overlaid a jet-black skirt. Her stockings were dark too. Almost as dark as the waves of hair spilling across her shoulders and down her back.

But her most striking (and mysterious) feature was her eyes. Madam Boss' long dark bangs cast a shadow over them, masking her gaze when she wished. But only when she wished. It was almost like she could control the shadows of her face by her sheer willpower alone. Giovanni was still at a loss for exactly how she did this; he suspected his boss had some sort of latent Psychic ability.

At the moment he was under the full power of her revealed stare. And he could see reflected in her dark brown eyes that pondering her bangs was the very last thing he should be concerned about at the moment. Should've been, anyway. Madam Boss was gripping both armrests furiously now and her one leg, demurely crossed over the other, was bouncing her foot with increasing sharpness. Any other Team Rocket employee would've recognized the look as an imminent explosion of rage and run for the hills.

But he knew her better. She wasn't truly angry---not yet.

"This has got to stop, Agent 7," The Boss stated in a no-nonsense tone, "I have had more than enough of your promiscuity over the years. You are very fortunate that none of those girls have—gotten into trouble. Yet. You are an intelligent and talented agent. If only your dedication matched your other qualifications--- You know better than this."

For the first time since he'd been summoned to her office that day, Giovanni felt a little fear at the way she referred to him. Giovanni took a moment to smooth his Rocket Executive's uniform as he regained his composure. To his credit, the moment's weakness never showed on his face. "Agent, Moth---Madam?" he asked nonchalantly. The look in the woman's eyes had forced him to change his statement mid-word. This was to be a strictly professional meeting. "Have you changed the rank titles for our organization?" he finished hopefully.

Yes, Giovanni knew Madam Boss well; but then again, the reverse was also true. Her full lips slid sideways into a little half-snarl, half-smirk. "No, you have simply been demoted." She was pleased to see that Giovanni's mouth actually dropped open in shock. "But don't worry," she assured him in a voice carefully devoid of actual sarcasm, "you always did wear an agent's uniform well. You will do so again."

"An agent," Giovanni grumbled as anger started to color his features. He grabbed his own armrests angrily as he added, "And to what wonderful assignment do I have to look forward to, Madam?"

Madam Boss relaxed enough to steeple her fingers before her and let her bouncing foot rest. "You've heard of Professor Samuel Oak, I'm sure." It wasn't really a question, but Giovanni nodded anyway as curiosity replaced some of his anger. The lady continued, "We extended an invitation to join Team Rocket through a dummy corporation a few months ago. When told what sort of work he would be doing, he refused."

Now Giovanni grinned. "And you would like a more—persuasive—invitation extended? That would be enjoyable, after all. Does he have any family members I can 'work' with?"

The Boss' shoulders drooped slightly with disappointment. "All this time as an executive," she sighed, "and such brutality is still your first response. Have I taught you nothing over all these years?"

Giovanni quickly amended, "I'm not implying anything like what happened on my last assignment, Madam. I meant in terms of blackmail, perhaps, or possibly kidnapping---" He broke off at the angry wave of her hand.

Madam Boss leaned forward a little, her intense stare never leaving his face. "Do you think we need to employ such strong methods against Oak? Do you?"

Giovanni searched his memory for a reason. The subject had been a formidable Pokémon Trainer, right up there with Agatha of the Elite Four, before retiring to merely study Pokémon quite a while back. A straight raid would be difficult. Not impossible, but difficult; although Giovanni was sure he could handle it anyway. He ended up saying, "I'm quite capable of just stealing anything you wish, but I thought it would be more subtle otherwise---"

Again she broke him off; this time with a small sigh. "Agent 7, do you know if Prof. Oak actually has anything worth stealing? Before spending half Team Rocket's budget on a large operation against him? Hmm?"

Giovanni had had enough of sticking his foot in his mouth. He slowly shook his head 'no', glaring at her from beneath taught eyebrows.

Madam Boss let her hands rest on the desk, "As I was about to explain before you interrupted, your mission will be a long-term reconnaissance. The professor is in need of a new assistant and you've already got an interview at the end of the week. **Get that job.** Then, watch Oak carefully and let us know if he is on to anything worthwhile. Outside agents will take care of any extractions deemed necessary, allowing you to continue in your position for some time—provided you don't raise Oak's suspicions."

Feeling his stomach drop down a couple inches into his body, Giovanni asked, "How long is long-term, Madam, if I may be so bold?"

"At least a year," she responded firmly.

"A year!" Giovanni snapped as he found his feet at last.

Madam Boss leapt to her feet as well. Her high heels dug into the deep carpet like claws as she rounded the desk on him. "Yes!" she snarled, "a year! And be thankful that's all that I've given you! Do you realize what I would've done to anyone else—anyone else at all—in Team Rocket if they'd drawn as much attention to themselves as you have? Or would you rather clean the Tauros enclosure by yourself, with your tongue, for a year!"

Giovanni leaned back from her, unconsciously and automatically ducking away from her. Yet, despite his own resentful pose, the wheels had already begun turning in his mind. Yes, the assignment was a rebuke in many ways; but it could also be quite plum. Who knew what Oak had up his sleeve? Giovanni would. And he would be the one to present it to Madam Boss.

Perhaps, if he truly impressed her, he could regain his executive's position in record time.

The Boss was watching him carefully. It could be that another Psychic talent of hers was reading his mind. Her anger dissipated as quickly as it had flared. She could take a moment to reassure him somewhat. With a tenderness few in Team Rocket would've thought her capable of, Madam Boss reached out to clasp Giovanni's elbow.

Softly, she intoned, "You are twenty years old now. It is past time for you to grow up. Pay attention, for I have no desire to turn over this organization I've built to anyone but you—yet I will if I have to."

She was tall, even without her heels. Giovanni was forced to look up a little to meet her gaze. Sudden fear flashed in his own eyes as he pondered her statement. "That day won't come for a long time. I'll be ready by then."

"Will it?" Madam Boss responded gently, "Will you? Then you'd best start now. Go, my son. Make me proud at long last."

For the first time in a very long time, Giovanni was tempted to hug her. There was something strange about her attitude all of a sudden. Something—dare he say it?--**sad**. But they were both adults, now, and he thought better of it. Instead Giovanni set a stiff upper lip as he backed away from Madam Boss' touch. He gave her a Team Rocket salute, which she swiftly returned.

He could feel Madam Boss watching him the entire way out of her office, feeling her hope and her fear alike riding on his shoulders the entire way.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	3. Chapter 3 New Beginnings

**Now**

It ended up being early dawn as Ash approached Blackthorn City's own Pokémon Gym. Bearing his master and Pikachu on his back, Pidgeot flapped broad brown wings heavily. The former Pidgeotto was wheezing noisily—and not from an encounter with a certain Poison-Type Pokémon, either. Concerned, Ash indicated that his friend set down outside the gym's stone outer wall.

Yet Pidgeot's never-say-die attitude was as strongly in force as ever. Ash's advice was ignored; Pidgeot banked into a sharp dive. Coming in low and fast and hopefully under the radar of any watchers, Pidgeot slipped through a side gate and into a row of large bushes. Only then did the Pokémon land.

Pidgeot laid down in the bush heavily, eyelids drooping. Ash regarded his friend with a potent mixture of concern and relief. "I can't thank you enough for this, Pidgeot," he whispered, "It would've been too suspicious if I'd switched anybody on my Pokémon team back at the Pallet Gym. Flying all the way here yourself---!" He had to break off for a respite as his emotions caught up to him. Finally, Ash finished, "I won't let you down! This will all be worth it, I swear!"

But still Ash had to wag a warning finger, "You should've stopped to rest when I told you to, though."

Pidgeot's hard beak turned up slightly in a little grin. Sometimes Ash wondered if the creature was more Swinub than Pidgeot; he was so pigheaded.

"You just take a good rest now," Ash returned his friend to his Pokéball. Then he took a moment to rub his own forearms, trying to restore some feeling. The trip had been windy, long, and cold. He wished he'd dared take the time to change out of his tux before leaving; but then again, he'd have had to go home first. They'd left straight from the Morgans' gym. Right out of an upper-story window, actually.

Ash bit his lip guiltily. Misty and Delia had to be going crazy wondering where they'd disappeared to. But it was something he had to do himself. It wasn't Misty's father, after all; and he'd rather wrestle a wild Feraligatr by hand than see his mother hurt by that man again.

Pikachu shivered a little at his feet. Ash scooped him up, hugging Pikachu to his chest, and the two friends enjoyed each other's body heat for a moment. Not to mention sharing a little self-confidence between each other's strong grip.

But only for a moment. Ash set Pikachu down gently and looked the gym's main building over in earnest.

Blackthorn Gym was still elegant and clean in its old-fashioned design. It focused on a lot of very tall windows to allow students plenty of warm light to live by. Which made it even eerier with the gym silent and dark. The windows became great black slashes in the building, each one gaping emptily at him. Neither the buildings nor the grounds were lit by even the simplest automatic light.

A glance over his shoulder let Ash see a few of the city's lights still gleaming under the awakening sky, off in the distance. Blackthorn should've been loaded up with students ready to begin a brand new semester this morning, just like Pallet. Although, at nearly a century old in its current state alone, the Blackthorn version had a lot more tenure.

He was getting no sense of life to the place at all. Not even the gentle feeling one might get knowing that lots of other people were sleeping quietly in their dorms all around him.

Most of the way there, Ash had been wondering how his father had managed to fool or trick the gym's leader, Clair, into helping him. In fact he'd finally decided it had to be some sort of blackmail. Although he personally wouldn't want to threaten anybody Clair held dear. That couldn't be good for your health.

But looking at the cold, empty facility surrounding himself and Pikachu, Ash wondered if something had happened (or at least been faked) to drive everyone away for awhile instead. Scaring all the gym's students was one thing; dealing with the Dragon Lady herself was another. Ash doubted that Clair had been fooled. Or, more likely, she'd stayed behind to take care of the supposed danger herself.

But there was no sign of Blackthorn's leader either. For the first time Ash wondered if rushing out here alone had been such a good idea after all. He could only sigh heavily. Either his own efforts or friends he'd gotten to help look for his father had led absolutely nowhere for an entire month. This might be his only chance for a confrontation before good ol' Dad decided to vanish for good.

He'd still feel better knowing what was up with Clair first, though.

Ash released his Sneasel from her Pokéball and told her to use Thief to open a window. With a practiced ease, Sneasel slid the window open without breaking the lock or setting off the electronic surveillance systems alike. Ash and his two Pokémon slipped into the dark hallway. The human had to pause to allow his eyes to adjust; his Pokémon friends waited patiently.

Then the lights flared to full brightness.

Ash reared back, drawing his arms up to block an attack as he cried, "Pikachu! Sneasel! Get behind me!"

But no attack was forthcoming. Ash blinked past his starry vision to see a mockingly empty corridor. His friends merely fidgeted a little at his feet, casting nervous glances up and down both ends of the hallway.

The intercom crackled to life. "It's about time, Master Trainer."

Ash glared hard at the overhead speaker. Next to it was a security camera; probably equipped with night vision. He didn't deign to respond. Instead Ash simply returned Sneasel to her Pokéball, nodded down to Pikachu at his side, and marched resolutely down the hallway. With angry confidence, he chose a path through the gym.

Coldly, the intercom returned, "The **other** way, Master Trainer."

His teeth were grinding against each other now, but the voice was right. Soon Ash pushed open the big double doors leading into the room where he'd once faced Clair herself. The huge square chamber lost much of its old-fashioned, stately elegance when it was draped in darkness. Only a few overhead spotlights shone around the rectangular pool dead center on the battlefield. The clear blue waters danced gently, bouncing reflections around in a vain attempt to shed some more light on the hardwood floors. Ash scanned the painted lines marking the field of battle. Everything was laid out as it should be; except he still had no opponent---yet.

Trying to keep his hands from shaking too much, Ash strode in and took his place at the challenging trainer's starting position. Pikachu, naturally, moved out a little further to his own mark.

Silence. Ash challenged the darkness, "What about Clair? Where is she?"

Another spotlight sprang to life; far in the corner. A suspiciously coffin-like container stood revealed. Ash gasped and stared hard; the object was made of clear plastic. Within lay a woman still and cold as death itself.

Ash took a few cautious steps forward to see better. Visibly, he relaxed. Clair was wearing her full-fledged Gym Leader's outfit. The billowing black cape that lent her such an intimidating air had been draped around her in the container. At this distance, it had looked like a shroud at first, but now Ash was sure she was sleeping quietly. _Ha, Sleeping Beauty,_ he thought with a twist of irony.

Clair moved. Ash jumped.

No; it was a Parasect in the container with her. The scuttling Bug-Type finished climbing up her midriff to stop and emit a puff of Spore from under its mushroom-like cap. Ash could see some of the yellow pollen escape from air holes in the container's top, but most of it stayed to hover around Clair's upper body. Thus the formidable Gym Leader and her Pokémon (albeit in their Pokéballs at her waist) remained safely in dreamland.

Ash felt his muscles tensing up again. A peculiar tickle in the back of his mind had started up. A presence—a conscious one—now shared the battlefield with him. Ash turned his gaze slowly around the rest of the chamber.

Finally, a shape simply stepped out of the darkness across from him.

Giovanni stood in Clair's usual place. His dark hair was still tied back in a long ponytail as when Ash had last seen him. But the dark turtleneck sweater and khaki pants suited to Sternbreak Island's wilderness were gone. In their stead was the orange business suit he had worn when being a Gym Leader was his own trade. Hands in his jacket pockets, Giovanni merely stood there stone-faced, watching with inscrutable narrow eyes.

With a cold set to his own features, Ash retook his own mark on the floor. He'd dreamed of this moment for a month. Yet now that it was here, Ash found the words jumbling up in his throat. He had to choke them back, fighting to repress his adrenaline-borne shivers, to not dare break down in front of---**him**.

Giovanni waited patiently.

"**You**," Ash finally said and caught himself anew.

Giovanni almost smiled. Almost. "Told you, did she?"

Ash bit his own tongue to avoid shrieking at the top of his lungs. His own blood provided a coppery taste in his mouth as he snarled, "What do you think?"

Pikachu turned his back to Giovanni as he stared at his master with big eyes. Never had the little Pokémon heard such bitterness, such rage, in Ash's voice. And never before had he been afraid of his own master. **For** him, yes, many times---but never **of**.

Ash noticed the look his Pokémon was giving him. And that provided the last bit of strength his self-control needed. His muscles relaxed noticeably; Ash's shaking slowing along with his breathing. "I'm all right, Pikachu," he assured as calmly as his roughened voice would allow, "I'm all right. Let's do this. Together."

Pikachu was still unsure in his heart, but knew he couldn't afford showing any more weakness in front of Giovanni. Pikachu faced forward once more, striking up a determined pose and allowing little sparks of electricity to ripple across his fur with a challenging crackle.

Now Giovanni's eyes glittered brightly. "I do apologize for holding this little get-together in Blackthorn instead of my old gym. I could hoax the students there and take out your erstwhile rival Gary Oak as easily as I did here. But Viridian Gym will be hosting your wedding in two weeks. Quite a lot of extra people running around down there at the moment. Ah, well. Since my gym was the eighth on your Kanto League run, then the corresponding stop on your Johto League trip is, at least, thematically appropriate as an alternative."

"I guess you'd have to play it that way," Ash snapped, "Without legions of Team Rocket members to help you out anymore. So sorry me and my friends ruined all that for you years ago, by the way." Ash had finally stopped shaking completely.

Giovanni refused to be baited. Instead he somehow managed to sneer without the expression on the rest of his face changing one iota. "Don't you want to set the rules for the match first?"

"It's a Gym Match," Ash fired back, "Three Pokémon apiece, no time limit. Forgot how it works? Been so long since you ran Viridian Gym?"

Giovanni's hand left his pocket in favor of laying gently across his heart. "Oh, touché, Master Trainer," he said softly, "Your wit is as sharp as always." He slipped the hand back to its pocket, continuing to hold Ash's undivided attention with his own fathomless gaze. "Or is it? You didn't seem to be thinking too hard that day at Viridian Gym. Did you bring your Earth Badge after all?"

For an answer, Ash peeled the lapel of his tux open for a moment. All eight of Ash's Kanto League badges glinted back at Giovanni in the bright light. Ash grinned smugly, "Never go anywhere without my original set."

For the first time, a flicker of emotion passed over Giovanni's features. "You seem quite proud of your achievement. How arrogant of you."

"Why?" Ash challenged back angrily, "Just because I'm such a better trainer than you? Mom said it took you four days to reach Viridian from Pallet when you started your Pokémon journey. It only took me one."

Giovanni returned coldly, "She believed that. And so do you, apparently."

A crack about his mother had been the very last thing Ash wanted to hear. He took a more forceful pose, legs akimbo and arms loose at his sides. The sound of his teeth grating echoed slightly in the wide gym since he didn't dare speak right then.

Giovanni insisted, each word thudding out of his mouth with rock-solid intent, "This is a Gym Match, pure and simple. To make up for my absence on that day in Viridian City so long ago." His eyes narrowed yet further; but the rest of his form was still cast in stone. "Didn't you wonder? Just a little bit? How those two fools who'd been chasing you for over a full year already were suddenly Gym Leaders?"

Ash snorted, "Jessie and James admitted the gym was run by Team Rocket. They said they'd been promoted. Heh, I had a hard time imagining who'd be stupid enough to do that, but here you are."

Giovanni's voice sharpened inquisitively. "And that didn't intrigue you? A Pokémon League Gym run by the nefarious Team Rocket?"

That comment only made Ash angrier. He shifted his weight back and forth impatiently, replying, "I heard all about it later. Officer Jenny checked it out. When the Morgans blew up the gym during our Pokémon battle, they also blew up any evidence you were more than just another Gym Leader. So when you said you'd been kidnapped and your Pokémon stolen by those two, we all swallowed it; even Jenny. Wish I'd known you then like I do now."

He wanted to say more. He truly wished he had met the Viridian Leader that first day. Then it would've been his second meeting, not his first, with Giovanni when they battled over the freedom of the clone Pokémon, Mewtwo. Ash would've known who he was looking at already; he could've exposed Giovanni's secret life to Officer Jenny and not just his agent Domino. Who knew how much might've changed if Team Rocket had been disbanded years earlier?

But he didn't dare. Mewtwo had removed the threat Giovanni posed to it permanently by erasing the man's memory of Mewtwo's very existence. And Ash certainly didn't want to give Giovanni any bright ideas about returning to power.

Giovanni's eyes refused to relinquish their hold on Ash's own. "You could've returned; sought out the real Gym Leader for a rematch. A Pokémon is only as good as its trainer. You were content to face my Pokémon in those morons' hands, but you didn't exactly seek me out, now did you? What's the matter? Gary Oak's little tale of terror at having faced me leave you shaking too hard?"

"If you knew me at all," Ash snapped, "You'd know better than that." But he found his defiant pose changing as a familiar knot of guilt became forming in his gut. A knot that had first tangled up his feelings when he'd heard Jenny's reports long ago. He'd dismissed it countless times, reminding himself of victories over many Gym Leaders before Viridian and afterwards too. Not to mention helping Mewtwo win his freedom, and the fall of Team Rocket, and---well, any other excuse Ash could come up with to prove his own bravery and skill. To himself, at least.

Still that nasty little voice in the back of his mind kept wondering over the years.

What if he had faced Giovanni for the Earth Badge instead?

The change in Ash's posture brought a knowing touch to Giovanni's smirk. The older man continued, "But fear wasn't your only motivation, was it? A minimum of eight badges are required to enter the League Championship competition; mine was the last you so desperately needed. You just took your pathetic excuse for a victory and ran. After all, you had what you wanted. The only thing that mattered to you. Your Earth Badge."

Ash shook his head and balled up his fists, trying to hold onto his anger. But it was dissolving fast. A dark wave of guilt battered away the half-truths and excuses encrusted in his mind, leaving behind a hard truth written for all to see. Even himself.

Giovanni finally relinquished a cold, thin-lipped smile as he closed his trap. "Still, perhaps I can't quite blame you. You had entry into the Kanto League Championship and one up on your bitter rival in one smooth stroke. The famous Gary Oak couldn't beat the Viridian Gym Leader, now could he? Then what hope had a little nobody like you?"

Giovanni's tongue clucked noisily against the inside of his cheek as he continued. "If that phone call had summoned me away mere moments later--- How different things would've been for you. But then again, perhaps honest defeat would still be preferable. At least, compared to having your entire Pokémon career based on a lie."

"I earned that badge," Ash protested; but weakly, defensively. The youth stumbled a half-step backwards. Pikachu returned to Ash's side, wishing he was taller so he could supply his master with some much-needed support.

"What do you say, Master Trainer?" Giovanni intoned, lacing the title heavily with irony, "Dare you face me here for an Earth Badge and more?"

"More?" Ash returned, shaking his head woozily.

"Yes!" Giovanni snapped, a flare of anger finally breaking through his hard exterior momentarily, "If you win, you keep the Earth Badge and no one is ever the wiser! But if I win—you publicly renounce your Elite Four position, all your badges, everything you dared claim in falsehood! You'll be exposed for what you really are: NOTHING!"

Maybe it was Pikachu's loving support. Maybe it was his own pride that forced him, once more, to face the very thing he feared and overcome it. Maybe both. From somewhere way down deep inside, Ash felt a sliver of anger still seething within. "Took you long enough to track me down for this," he returned softly, "if you felt so strongly about it. Why? Scared? Of me? Or of **her**?"

Giovanni winced at the invocation of Delia. Nevertheless, he replied coldly, "You washed out of the Kanto League competition fast, so stealing that Earth Badge didn't do you much good; at first. I certainly had better things to do than chase one errant coward of a Pokémon Trainer down. Let those two idiot employees of mine chase you and that pathetic Pikachu rather than foul up something important again."

"Yeah, right," Ash agreed with all the sarcasm he could muster, "And that's all there is to it." He hadn't missed how his earlier comment had drawn blood in Giovanni's wince. The hint of vulnerability reminded Ash of how Team Rocket had fallen, partially thanks to himself. He'd faced Giovanni in a Pokémon battle before---albeit one that ended in a draw. Without even knowing fully who he was dealing with at the time.

And now that he did know--- His opponent had so many things over so many years to answer for. Ash's entire lifetime, in fact.

The youth's rage returned. But it was dulled somehow. His rage was working with him, fueling him, emboldening him; yet somehow steeling him with an eerie confidence that matched Giovanni's own.

Very firmly, Ash intoned, "I agree to every one of your stakes for me. I swear, if I lose, I'll do it."

Giovanni's lips turned up in a smug grin of triumph.

Then Ash gave him the most bloodless smile he had ever dared unleash, "But if I win---"

Some of Giovanni's smile faltered as his eyebrow rose curiously.

Ash challenged, "I keep the Earth Badge, yeah. But you're gonna talk. About her. About me. Even about being the Viridian Gym Leader and the Boss of Team Rocket at the same time. You're not gonna hide behind legal technicalities anymore. You tell the world what **you** are; if you can!"

For an instant time stood still.

Then, very deliberately, Giovanni answered, "As you wish."

Pikachu returned to his starting position even as Giovanni reached into a inner lapel pocket for a Pokéball.

In a familiar burst of light, a huge Nidoking materialized. The bipedal reptile's purple-hued form bristled with a long row of spines and muscles alike. Nidoking's gigantic rabbit ears were the only cute feature on a toothy face noted for its malevolence. Like a sumo wrestler, the mighty Ground- and Poison-Type stomped all his weight down on one foot, then the other. The floor of Clair's gym shook with each impact. Pikachu bounced off his starting point on his little haunches; but he stepped right back up to the plate.

"Now remember," Giovanni called with evil cheerfulness, "No Pokémon substitutions allowed in a Gym Match."

Too late, Ash recalled that Viridian Gym had been known for its Ground-Type Pokémon back in Giovanni's day. A type that Pikachu's Electric nature was extremely vulnerable against. Ash had been expecting a Diverse Team like his own; especially since Giovanni had fielded just such a Pokémon group against him long ago.

Ash took only a second to regret being so predictable. After all, Pikachu had seen him through countless lopsided battles before. "Go, Pikachu! Agility!" At his master's command, Pikachu leapt into a charge so fast, it almost appeared the spunky Pokémon had used Teleport to cross the pool.

"Nidoking, use Megahorn," Giovanni prompted with calm assurance. As Pikachu neared, Nidoking bent down to thrust the foremost horn adorning his head with a vicious slash. The Megahorn Attack missed the scampering Pikachu; barely.

But Pikachu was close enough not to miss now. "Thunder!" Ash cried.

"_Pika-CHHUUUU!"_ came the response as Pikachu unleashed the most powerful Electric-Type attack of all at point-blank range. An electric bolt easily as thick as Pikachu himself jumped from the mouse's body. Even as the Thunder crashed onto Nidoking, Ash could feel the leftover electricity make some of his own hair stand up even at this distance.

Nidoking didn't even blink. Giovanni sneered, "I don't know what sort of weakling Ground-Types you're used to facing, Master Trainer, but I suggest a change of tactics in this case. Oh, and don't bother trying to set off the emergency fire sprinklers or some such trick either. They're deactivated. Nidoking, use Earthquake."

"_Niidoo,"_ assured the Pokémon as he slammed his thick tail onto the ground. For a second, Nidoking lifted his entire massive frame off the floor completely to stand on his tail alone. Then he crashed both clawed feet back down, sending shockwaves of pure force rippling the bendable floorboards across the length of the gym.

The attack would spell doom for Pikachu—if it hit him. "Iron Tail, hurry!" Ash ordered.

"_Pikaa!"_ as Pikachu somersaulted head-over-heels into a midair leap. The Earthquake Attack passed by beneath the spinning yellow streak harmlessly. Pikachu's little tail glowed white, clean and pure, as he brought it down toward Nidoking's head like a bolt from the blue.

Reflexively, Nidoking caught Pikachu's tail in a huge clawed hand. The Iron Tail Attack dissipated harmlessly in his grip. Pikachu found himself hanging upside-down in Nidoking's clutches, both Pokémon so surprised they simply stared at each other for a moment.

The Earthquake continued to rattle the gym, albeit less forcefully with each pass as the ricocheting shockwaves died down. The building had stood the test of time and many, many Pokémon attacks of every type by virtue of its flexible design and constant maintenance. Intended to shake and roll rather than break, the battle room did its job and held.

Both trainers managed to stay upright; Giovanni with maddening ease born of much practice. "Nidoking," he prompted quietly, "Tail Whip. Using Pikachu's, if you please."

Ash cried, "Wait!"

Nidoking didn't care. The moment of silence broken, Nidoking whipped Pikachu against the floor by his own tail fiercely. Just once. But once was enough; Pikachu disappeared into a hole smashed through the floorboards by his own body.

Ash cried out from the depths of his soul, "Pikachu! Get up! Please!"

Shakily, Pikachu clawed himself free of the opening. He straightened up, looking the massive Nidoking that towered over him straight in the eye. _"Pik-aaa---"_ and Pikachu assumed a ready stance. In a very unsteady fashion.

"Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, knowing it was hopeless, knowing it was futile; but also knowing Pikachu would never forgive Ash if he recalled the little creature. Not in this battle. Not with so much on the line.

Pikachu launched himself with surprising strength head-first into Nidoking's broad chest. Nidoking actually rocked back on his tail for support a little, snarling, _"Nido?"_ Yet still his grip ensnared Pikachu from both sides, squeezing fiercely.

Giovanni's smirk matched Nidoking's as the former intoned, "Enough of the pregame show, Master Trainer. Nidoking, use Body Slam." Nidoking simply fell on his own chest, allowing Pikachu to lead the way, as the Pokémon crashed to earth in the hole Pikachu had made—

And kept going right through the gym's floor and beyond.

A plume of broken rock and floorboards alike marked their passing. Ash cried out for Pikachu, but was drowned out as the earth groaned mightily. The gym's walls and ceiling remained immobile, but the hole their combating Pokémon had made was widening swiftly. The ground beneath the floor cracked with an ear-splitting snap. Exposed was an even greater darkness than Giovanni had shrouded the gym in.

Hungrily, the gap reached for them with a rapidly growing maw.

"Pikachu! I'm coming!" Ash cried, diving into the crevasse head-first.

Giovanni turned and ran. But he wasn't fast enough. The floorboards were disappearing under his feet even as he scuttled across them. In the end, he could only rage helplessly as the blackness swallowed him too.

**--Then--**

"Pallet Town," Giovanni grumbled to himself, "What an overestimation of itself. More like Pallet Dump." Bad enough he was going to have to stay here; but according to the backstory Team Rocket had cooked up for him, he'd have to say he was **born** here. How humiliating.

Still, a local boy just might get a few extra points with the professor. And Giovanni shuddered at the mere thought of what Madam Boss would do to him if he didn't even get the job. Cleaning the Tauros enclosure with his tongue would probably look pretty good by comparison.

Looking very glum, Giovanni drove the car his mother had loaned him through the small town's streets. The vehicle wasn't as upscale as he was used to, either. He'd feared the middle-class car would make him stick out in Pallet. But one look had let him know this set of wheels was probably the best this hick burg had ever seen. Heck, his luggage was probably better than anything these local yokels had.

Finally. The mailbox ahead had the right number; that had to be Oak's place atop the hill behind it. Giovanni steered around the side of the hill to discover a semicircular driveway. Taking the nearer entrance, Giovanni spent another moment driving uphill before he arrived.

But he wasn't the first, he saw.

A much more expensive car sat a little ahead of his. It was a big four-door model with a Johto region license plate. A young man, roughly Giovanni's own age, was getting his luggage out of the trunk. The youth had on nice clothes—light grey pants, light blue polo with an orange undershirt, and a dark brown jacket atop—but they weren't up to par with the car. His build was fair, but his face narrowed as it descended from forehead to chin into a hatchet's blade. The effect of sternness was heightened by a head of prematurely grey hair.

Then, as Giovanni stepped out of his car, the other man blew away the image of seriousness by smiling warmly. Extending a hand in invitation, the youth added, "You must be the new guy. I'm Spencer Hale. Nice to meet you."

Giovanni smiled broadly back as he shook Spencer's hand firmly to make sure the grin was visible beneath his new beard and mustache. He added, "Nice to meet you, Spencer. I'm Vance Ketchum."

Thus was Vance Ketchum born.

Inwardly, Giovanni groaned yet again at the choice of last name for him. A fondness for puns was one of the few weaknesses Madam Boss had. He supposed she wanted her agent to _ketchum_ with their pants down and steal everything. But he **hated** puns.

Still, that didn't stop Giovanni from studying his potential rival intently yet circumspectly. Effecting a slightly confused face, Giovanni politely probed for info with, "The new guy? So I've got the job for sure then? I've got to admit, a welcome from the old guard doesn't hurt my feelings."

Spencer didn't suspect a thing. Instead he grinned back, "Heh! Either you should check your e-mail more often or, more likely, Prof. Oak forgot to send one. Yup, we're partners now, Vance. C'mon, let's get our stuff and hurry in; I'm sure the professor is waiting for us."

"Hey! What about me!" called a feminine voice from the driveway behind Giovanni. The _ding-ding_ of a bicycle's bell accentuated her call for attention.

Riding toward them was one of the most interesting contradictions of herself that Giovanni had ever seen. The girl had shorts, knee-high socks, and shoes suited for riding her bike, but her green plaid overshirt and dark brown undershirt looked more like a gardener's ensemble. Her bike had a little wire basket across the handlebars and her brown hair was done up in twin pigtails. Pigtails! Giovanni couldn't remember the last time he'd seen those.

But the biggest contradiction came when the girl stopped her bike and swung smoothly off it. Her height and the definition in her slender figure marked her not as a girl, but a young woman at least Giovanni's age. A very girlish woman, but a woman nonetheless.

Giovanni felt a condescending smile forming on his lips and hoped his beard covered it. She had to be a local, dressed so poorly; couldn't even afford a car at her age. How pathetic.

He got another shock; Spencer stepped up to the lady with arms outstretched warmly. "How could I ever forget you, sweetheart?" he prompted as the girl melted into his embrace. So softly Giovanni almost missed it, she whispered to Spencer, "It's been weeks. You were gone **so** long---" They shared a quick but passionate kiss; Giovanni should've looked away to give them some privacy.

But he didn't. And he wondered why. Even as he realized the sneer had disappeared from his lips.

Before the couple turned to him, Giovanni's countenance returned to normal. Spencer let the girl hang on his arm as he led her over to Giovanni. "Vance, my new friend," Spencer said magnanimously, "Meet my old friend, Delia."

The woman untangled herself from Spencer and proffered her hand like a man would for a handshake. Giovanni found himself gently grasping her palm, turning it down into a lady's formal greeting, before kissing the back of Delia's hand gently. At least, as gently as he could, with the rough hairs of his mustache rubbing her skin.

He added, "Always a pleasure to meet a lady."

Delia blushed a little and pulled away; a bit too quickly.

Spencer didn't fail to notice; but he also wasn't willing to give up on Giovanni's friendship right away either. His heartiness sounded a bit forced (but only a little bit) as he replied, "If you knew Delia, you'd know she's no lady." Delia glanced sharply at him, but Spencer smoothly continued with, "She's far too independent for that particular title."

The young man made a bit of a show in slipping his arms over Delia's shoulders from behind for another embrace. She responded, "True, true," as she leaned her back against his chest; caressed Spencer's arms with hers. Delia smiled jokingly at Giovanni, "Sometimes I wonder why I keep Spencer around."

"Indeed," Giovanni said in a way that was neither challenge nor joke. The statement was simply a mystery.

Apparently Spencer decided some more definition in their relative places was needed. Looking thoughtful, he cast his gaze down toward the back of Delia's head before saying, "Poor Vance showed up all by himself, sweetheart. Any of your girlfriends have a broken heart in need of tender loving care?"

Delia smiled at Giovanni once more, but it was a polite grin.

He felt disappointed, strangely enough. Her face had lit up so when she'd smiled at Spencer.

Anyway, Delia was saying, "I'm sure we can find a date for you soon, Vance." She giggled, displaying her girlishness again, as she added, "With a nice car like that, it shouldn't be hard!"

Looking greatly reassured by her attitude (and trying to hide it from them both), Spencer pulled back and indicated Delia's bike with his thumb. "Need a hand with anything, sweetie?"

"Nope," Delia reassured, "I'm here to pick up, not drop off today. Let me help you with your luggage instead."

Moving back toward his own car's trunk, Giovanni called out cheerfully, "And here I thought I'd be toiling away by myself. Three sets of helping hands will make the professor's work go much, much smoother."

As she shouldered a few lighter bags of Spencer's, Delia replied, "Oh, no! Sorry to disappoint you, but it's you boys who'll be doing all Prof. Oak's dirty work. I'm just the babysitter."

Giovanni made a honestly puzzled face for once as he put his luggage on a little push-cart he'd unfolded. "The professor has children? At his age?"

Delia laughed. The sound was light and musical to Giovanni's ears; perhaps because it was totally lacking in malice or sarcasm. Few in Team Rocket laughed like that. On the job, at least. Not too many of his female companions of the past did either. They were high society people, usually laughing down their nose at someone.

Sort of like Giovanni had been feeling about Delia mere moments ago.

**Had** been feeling about her?

"No, silly!" Delia challenged playfully, "His children do! You know, grandchildren! Err, well, **a** grandchild, anyway." As the trio bore their suitcases into the main hallway, Delia gushed further, "I'll show you a picture in a minute. Daisy is such a cutie! So smart too! She's almost six, so she's much easier to manage than some of the other babysitting jobs I've had, believe me!"

Thanks to his companions' familiarity with the huge home, Giovanni had his stuff thrown in his room in moments. He could truly unpack later; as he'd suspected, Spencer and Delia had dumped their own load and were waiting to give him a tour. Not to mention hopefully dig up the professor himself.

Spencer and Delia alike wore knowing grins as they creeped upstairs to Oak's main lab balcony. Seeing Giovanni simply walking up behind her, Delia turned to give him an overblown _shushing_ motion with her finger to her lips.

To her delight and his own surprise, Giovanni began emulating the others' cartoonish walk up the stairs, a heartfelt grin shining through his facial fuzz.

Oak was there, alright. Passed out face-first on his computer desk and snoring heartily into some research papers. Giovanni hoped he wasn't drooling in his sleep; Oak might've shorted out the computer at that range and Giovanni didn't want the big job of replacing it. Not on his first day.

Delia started forward, but Spencer gently held her back. "Let me," he added conspiratorially as he advanced in front of her. She let him go.

Carefully outside of arm's reach but still rather close, Spencer sucked in a big breath to bellow, "Professor Oak! Look! It's the legendary Pokémon Raikou!"

With a satisfying start, Oak leapt to his feet in a flurry of dislodged paper. "What! Where!" he called out, fighting to clear the sleep from his eyes. He stumbled and Spencer was quick to catch him. Realizing that he who was steadying him had also been the one to awaken him falsely, Oak gave the younger man a playful punch on the shoulder. Spencer and Delia laughed together.

Giovanni couldn't quite bring himself to join them this time.

Instead he extended a hand, smiling politely, "My apologies if I've caught you at a bad time, Professor. I'm Vance Ketchum _(mental wince)_, I'm here for the assistant's job---?"

Oak's eyes widened in a little bit of self-reproaching horror, "Yes, of course! I'm so sorry, young man, but I forgot to let you know you'd gotten the position! Before you came all this way, too!" Oak's hand took his in an apologetically pumping grip. "I've been hoping to hear from someone like you, Vance, for a very long time now." At that last, there was a strange sparkle in Oak's eyes to go along with a slightly silly upturn of his broad, welcoming grin.

A bit of suspicion slashed into Giovanni's thoughts. Oak **knew** something about him. Somehow, someway, Giovanni couldn't fathom how, but Oak had a fact or two on his side. But how much? Giovanni's suspicion didn't show in his demeanor as he replied, "Oh? You've heard of a humble local boy like me? I'm flattered, Professor."

Oak chortled and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Let's just say a Ketchum helped me out of a jam in my youth. Any branch of that family tree is very welcome in my laboratory. And rest assured, I've got plenty for you and Spencer to do, since my wife---passed on."

The professor's good humor vanished with his own gloomy reminder. Oak released Giovanni's shoulder to shove both hands in his own lab coat's pockets. Spencer gently gripped the old man's shoulder, adding softly, "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it back for the funeral, Professor. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry, Spencer," Oak reassured with a quick smile, "You had a funeral of your own to attend back home in Greenfield. It's I who apologize to you. If I hadn't kept you working so hard, if I'd realized how short time was becoming, I would've sent you to him right away."

"How could you have known?" Spencer returned warmly, "My father was sick for a very long time. Nobody knew exactly when it would happen. The end just---came a lot quicker than anybody expected, that's all."

Delia, it seemed, had been waiting for an opportunity to broach the subject delicately. Now she gently sidled up to Spencer, leaning against him to provide her body's comforting warmth, even as she pulled one of Oak's hands free to gently hold in hers. She didn't say anything. She didn't need too. For that moment at least, the woman dressed like a girl looked nothing less than angelic as she supported the men in her life.

Giovanni, always the outsider, always watching everything he did and said with anybody not of Team Rocket, for the first time---**resented** it.

Outwardly, he coughed politely and started for the stairs. "I'll be seeing you later, Professor. I didn't mean to intrude."

To catch him, Oak had to move outside of his young friends' protective circle. But the moment's shared sorrow and love had done him a world of good; Oak's gaze was notably brighter, his movements stronger. And he was quite genuine when he said, "Nonsense! We've all got work to do; no more time for being mushy! Did you put your luggage away yet?"

Giovanni nodded.

"Good!" Oak continued, "Let me show you around!"

Giovanni only had one more bit of trouble on his first day. Delia insisted on preserving this historic day mid-tour with some photographs. Giovanni took the first one; outside with Oak leaning up against the property's wooden fence. He was framed by Spencer and Delia on each side.

That was easy since somebody had to take the picture. But try as he might, Giovanni couldn't follow Madam Boss' instructions and wheedle out of being in the second shot. Oak captured the image of Delia, smiling broadly and giggling, as Spencer and Giovanni held her between them.

One thing the picture did not record, thanks to the beard: Giovanni's cheeks warming as he touched her. It was simply the physical proximity, he told himself, she **was** the only woman around, after all. He'd find someone better, more high-class, to occupy himself with. Even in this town there had to be somebody—

The thoughts rang strangely hollow as the camera's bulb flashed.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	4. Chapter 4 Detective Work

**Now**

Misty stared hard at Jessie. Both women were back in their civvies but there was nothing relaxed about their mood. A easy-breezy blue blouse, matching jacket, and red shorts made up Misty's ensemble. It didn't do much to defuse the menace in her frame.

Jessie's daywear dress went all the way up to a high collar around her neck, but sported a little diamond cut exposing her cleavage. The jet black one-piece's hemline, perhaps in deference to her new motherhood and respectability, reached down to her knees. No more thigh-high boots or pantyhose, either; Jessie left her long legs on display in a pair of pumps. A short slate-grey jacket, much like her old one save the lack of a letter "R" logo, completed her look. Which, at the moment, was a decidedly dangerous look.

The redheads were furious; in fact their flushed cheeks were nearly the same color as their hair. The table in Jessie's gym groaned beneath the pressure as they leaned on it with their palms, facing each other from mere inches. Neither woman backed down.

Jessie snarled, "For the last time, I demand to know where he is!"

That was not a response that pleased Misty. "You're such an idiot! Why would I come here looking for him if I knew where Ash was!"

"I know you're lying," Jessie growled, her complexion darkening yet further, "You're just trying to protect that little coward of yours! He didn't have the guts to face me in the Dream Match I set up!" To Misty's surprise, Jessie's mouth suddenly turned up in a singularly nasty smile. "Care to take his place instead? Are you Gym Leader—no, are you **woman** enough?"

"Okay!" Misty snapped, leaning back and rolling up her jacket's sleeves, "That's **it**!"

"Bring it on!" Jessie returned, starting to shrug free of her own jacket angrily.

Meowth leapt up onto the table, waving his paws frantically. Misty could still see the little outline in his fur of where his tux had been the night before. _"Whoa dere! I likes a good catfight, 'specially if I'm not in it, but c'mon! I just finished tidyin' up dis place after da party, here!"_ Meowth appealed. Behind him, Misty's Togetic and Delia's Mimey nodded hopeful support for a continued cease-fire.

James quickly rushed in to help with damage control. His trendy dark blue shirt, embroidered with a classic Chinese pattern, helped give him an air of authority when he insisted, "Meowth's right, Jessie! We can't go banging up our brand new gym, now can we?"

"Umm," Delia interjected, pointing past the argument, "Especially with all these cameras here."

As one, Misty and Jessie turned their heads to spy the reporters all focusing on them. They'd returned to cover the Dream Match, of course. And judging by the grins adorning male and female newscasters alike, they were getting some pretty good footage anyway. One clean-cut young man thrust his microphone forward, asking, "What else can you tell us about Master Ketchum's disappearance?"

"Butt out!" Misty growled.

Smoothly, Jessie stepped in front of Misty to intercept the gent. "What my fellow Gym Leader means is—No comment," she explained in a polite yet firm fashion, "Now, since the match is off for the moment, I suggest you all take your leave. Don't call us, we'll call you when it's on again."

The youth couldn't take a hint. "Just a couple of questions---?"

Jessie grabbed the reporter's wrist and twisted it firmly. A nasty gleam danced in her eye as she said, very cheerfully, "Thank you for respecting our privacy. Buh-bye now!" Then she thrust him away with both hands.

Along with a few of his coworkers, the reporter looked angry; but James and the others stepping up for a united front (fingering their Pokéballs) convinced him now was not the time to press the issue. With a minimum of mutual grumbling, the crowd of newchasers left.

More than a little sheepishly, Misty turned to Jessie. "Thanks," she said simply.

"Don't mention it," Jessie fluffed the spikes adorning the back of her hairdo, "I can't afford any bad publicity for my gym right off the bat, can I?"

Before Misty could get hot under the collar again, Delia pointed out, "There must be some way you can help us find him. Ash did get here, right? But none of you saw him leave?"

A sudden remembrance sent James to a window. "Oh, dear!" he groaned, "Forgive me for not thinking of it before, Mrs. Ketchum—but it seems his car is still here." The others crowded around him to confirm it with their own eyes. Misty had to let her momentary flash of anger at James over this detail pass. The parking lot was stuffed to the gills with people and vehicles alike. She hadn't seen Delia's car in that crowd, or even the reservation sign for Ash that still adorned the parking spot, when they'd gotten off the bus herself.

Meowth had to do a chin-up on the window's sill to check it out for himself. But even as he gazed at the car, Meowth's eyes grew even craftier than usual. The little Pokémon let go of the window to scamper out of the room unnoticed.

Meanwhile, Misty's gaze widened with fright as a particularly nasty thought crossed her mind. "He couldn't have left the gym willingly then—Ash must've been kidnapped!"

Delia's hand flew to her mouth, "You mean that horrible Lawrence!"

Before the women could speculate further, Meowth reappeared. In a cute little deerstalker cap and jacket, the scratch cat proclaimed, _"Dis is element'ry, my dear ladies; Don't assume nuttin'. Get yer facts straight foist."_ Meowth paused to blow a large bubble from the big, curved pipe hanging from his sharp-toothed maw.

"Ooo! Quite right, Meowth!" James cast a suddenly eager look at his wife, "Do you know where my period costume is, sweetheart?"

"Not now, James!" Jessie returned. Fists on hips, she challenged the diminutive detective, "In that case, Shedsalot Holmes, what do you suggest we do? Look for footprints leading away from the car with big magnifying glasses?"

Meowth shook his head, ignoring Jessie's tone if not her actual words. _"Dat's too old school, my dear Jessie,"_ he reached into his jacket, _"We gots dese!"_ He proudly held up a videotape for all to see.

Jessie's jaw nearly hit the floor, "The security tapes?"

"_Da game's afoot! I mean—apaw! Ha-ha!"_ Meowth chortled, _"When would youse say da Master Twer---Trainer gots here, Jimmy?"_ Just in case, Meowth made a show of moving his pipe to the opposite side of his mouth. He lucked out; neither Ash's mother nor his betrothed seemed to catch the near-slip.

James put a finger to his cheek, reflecting, "Oh, I'd say about seven-fifteen. Maybe seven-twenty or so."

"_And I know youse was at da main door, so dat's where we'll start! Alls we gotta do is follow 'em on the tapes n' we can track him down anywhere on da premises! To da Catcave—uh, da security room!"_ Meowth lead the running charge, puffing away on his pipe and leaving a trail of bubbles in the group's wake.

At the entrance to the security chamber, James held the door to allow the women to enter before him. Delia, huffing slightly in spite of her regular workouts, was the last to reach him. "Please, go ahead, Mrs. Ketchum," he waved her on gallantly.

"We're all adults here," she paused to catch her breath, "You can call me Delia."

To her surprised delight, James actually blushed. "A true gentleman should always address a lady properly---but if you insist."

"I do," she affirmed, "But thank you very much anyway." She swept in and James closed the door behind them both, hoping Jessie didn't see his remaining blush. Thankfully, she didn't. The lady Morgan was busy hitting paydirt on the monitors already, with Misty and Meowth watching anxiously. Jessie called up a zoom and enhancement over Ash's shoulder at the letter he was reading. "Bingo!" she cried.

"Blackthorn City!" Misty gasped, "Why would Clair send Ash such a thing?" She turned, her worried gaze automatically locking to Delia's. The elder female had already put two and two together from the wording of the letter as she recalled that certain conversation one month ago. The resulting answer had the blood draining from her face. And Misty felt a similar reaction starting on her own countenance once she'd caught up mentally.

Delia had already started for the door. "Thank you very much," she told the Morgans with genuine (albeit hurried) sincerity, "I truly appreciate your help. But we've got to go now." And with that she was gone.

Misty hesitated partway to the door, wondering if she alone could provide enough support for Ash and Delia alike in the coming confrontation. After all, Ash was always sticking up for James as a true-blue friend nowadays. "Aren't you coming?" she prompted to all three.

As she'd feared, James was indeed the first to refuse. "I'm terribly sorry," he apologized with a spread of his open hands, "But today's the first day of classes. We can't jump ship on our own gym's opening day, now can we?"

Jessie sighed heavily, "Not to mention our little newborns. We can't just fly off and leave them behind, you know."

These things were very true.

But it still didn't defuse the sudden return of Misty's anger. "That's okay," she snarled sarcastically, "We don't need any of you anyway." She slammed the door behind her; but she wasn't even halfway down the hall before she regretted her outburst. _I've got to get my temper under control someday,_ she reminded herself for the half-billionth time.

In the security room, Jessie had jumped to her feet with fists clenched at her side. "How dare that little twerp! Just because she doesn't care about her own gym and runs gadabout whenever she feels like it doesn't mean everyone else should!"

James, foreseeing Jessie's intention of pursuit, stepped firmly in front of his wife to clasp her shoulders. Kneading her gently to calm her down, James added, "Don't worry about it, dear. Just the stress of the moment talking, I'm sure. Let's get back to work in our gym and make our first day something to remember, hmm?"

Jessie was still glaring at the door over his shoulder, despite James' efforts calming her down somewhat. "Yes," she hissed slowly, "and our Dream Match will be something to remember too. Just you wait, Little Miss Red, just you wait---"

Unknowing of Jessie's continued outrage, Misty found herself catching up to Delia in the lobby. "Hold on!" she called out to her future mother-in-law, "We'll need some help on this."

Misty spied a pay vidphone. For a split second, she considered calling Leeza in Johto for another Charizard ride. But even though the self-styled amazon had been a big help getting to Sternbreak Island recently, she'd also made no secret of how boy-crazy she was. Misty has no intention of giving her another shot at Ash.

Her sisters were even more fair-weather friends than the Morgan family, so that was a no-go too.

Which left one person she could always trust for help, no matter what the stakes, just as he could for hers.

Even as Misty plunked in her change and dialed up, Delia observed kindly, "I'll always be grateful to that nice young man for helping us. But Brock has a life of his own now too, Misty. I don't think---"

Delia was cut off as somebody answered at the Pewter City Gym. Misty was surprised; she'd dialed Brock's office direct. She shouldn't have gotten Harry the lobby receptionist; but oh well. Not as if she didn't forward her own phone when she was out.

But before she could open her mouth, Harry's face lit up like the boy had just spotted his last life preserver bobbing in a sea of despair. "Ms. Williams!" the youth gushed, "You finally returned my page! Thank you, thank you very much!"

Dread started welling up in Misty's belly. Despite the resurgence of happiness from the boy, she could see tracks of half-dried tears on Harry's face. "I'm sorry, Harry," she replied very softly, "I haven't checked my messages yet. I don't know what you're talking about. Can I speak to Leader Harrison please?" In her mind echoed a silent plea for Brock and Duplica's safety to anybody who might be listening.

Her reply very nearly sent the youth back into a crying jag. "I'm---I'm sorry, Ms. Williams," Harry snuffled, "but Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are indisposed." Suddenly, the kid looked relieved somehow to be saying it plainly to at least one of his callers. "Oh, Ms. Williams!" he gushed, "I'm afraid that Mrs. Harrison is having---difficulties!"

"No," Misty didn't shout. It was an expression of pure disbelief. "She's only in the fifth month, she can't be having the baby yet."

"She isn't in labor," Harry was quick to confirm, "but she's, well, I---" He paused to get a grip on himself, but then brightened just a teeny bit, "I'm---I'm sure Mr. Harrison would be greatly encouraged if I told him that you and Mr. Ketchum were on your way---?"

Oh no. Misty's stomach dropped down into her sneakers somewhere as her eyes squeezed shut. She couldn't make such a choice, Ash or Brock; she shouldn't have to. Either way it would shatter her heart into a million pieces.

She felt a strong grip on her shoulder, heard Delia say into the phone's pickup, "We'll collect Ash and be there as soon as possible. Tell Brock we're on our way." The elder female's voice was strong and sure. After getting a reply, Delia shut off the machine. Then she gently patted Misty's shoulder. "Let's hurry to the airport, dear. You don't want to make a liar out of me, do you?"

Her eyes still shut, Misty drew a shaky breath to say, "Thank you, Delia."

"Of course," her companion effused.

Then Misty's eyes snapped open. She turned to see Togetic watching her with great concern. "No time for the airport," Misty ordered firmly, "Togetic, you remember where Blackthorn Gym is?"

With considerable reluctance, Togetic nodded. The Pokémon did not need to be a Psychic-Type to read Misty's mind at the moment.

Neither did Delia. Her grip returned to Misty's shoulder, but this time it was a strong spasm of fear. "No!" Delia commanded in a tone much steadier than she felt, "Your condition---!"

And that was all she had time to get out before Misty interrupted, "Use Teleport."

Togetic, Mimey, and the women vanished in a burst of light.

**--Then--**

The first night at Oak's lab had been a nerve-wracking one for Giovanni. No matter how he scoured genealogical sites across the Internet, he hadn't found anything different from what Team Rocket's intelligence team had. Which is to say, no real-life branch of the Ketchum family tree had originated in or spent a lot of time at Pallet Town.

Which had made it easy for the Team Rocket researchers to make up Vance's background more or less whole-cloth. A few falsified records here and there, placed far enough back in time that teachers would be unsure if they truly recalled just another average kid from their classes, and presto!

Still, the fact that Oak remembered his benefactor enough to hire another Ketchum without even meeting him--- It was a loose end. Giovanni wanted to tie it up nice and neat, **fast**.

The next morning, Giovanni was patiently working at a terminal in the main lab. Their backs to each other, Oak was plugging away on his own keyboard across the room. Oak's son and daughter-in-law were out for the day, having their house fumigated due to a nasty Beedrill infestation. Thus Delia was entertaining her young charge in the corner, instead of at Daisy's own house, with a game of "Who's That Pokémon?"

He'd been trying to catch Oak alone, but Giovanni couldn't stand it anymore. Besides, the professor had been making small talk all morning anyway. "So, Professor, I'm really curious," he turned to watch Oak's expression, "Which relative of mine befriended you, anyway?"

Oak thought about it for a moment. The professor liked to chat, but he liked to work at the same time; Giovanni didn't find it unusual that Oak didn't turn from the computer screen when he finally answered. "His name was Ash," Oak offered.

Giovanni just barely caught Delia mumbling, "Ash. That's a nice name," to herself.

Oak continued, "I ran into him during my Pokémon journey in Ilex Forest. Heh. It was a very long journey, to say the least! But you know, I never found out exactly where Ash was from. He certainly helped me out, however." Oak peered from his computer screen to the calendar on the wall beside it. His eyebrows twitched in a way that Giovanni already recognized as doing heavy math. "That was almost twenty-seven years ago; my word. Has it really been that long?"

The old man suddenly seemed to feel a lot older; he was staring now at several news printouts pinned up around the calendar. Always the cheerleader, Delia left little Daisy a coloring book and crossed to the professor's side for a moment. "And here I thought you and Dad were the only ones stirring up trouble in your misspent youth," she teased, "But it sounds like you had Vance's pop in on the fun too."

Giovanni seized the opening, "I'm afraid not. This Ash must've been from out-of-town. Nobody with that name in my family; must be a different line of Ketchum. Sorry to disappoint you, Professor." _Too bad I can't claim this 'Ash' as my father,_ he thought, _Too dangerous. It would've scored major points with Oak. But why complain? I've got the job already._ Reminding himself not to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, Giovanni teased the elder male, "I can keep the job anyway, I trust?"

The professor made a show of mock disappointment, but there was a little glimmer of truth to it in his eyes when he said, "Oh, I suppose. Otherwise, Spencer might throw me to the wild Pokémon if he had to do it all by himself again." Turning back to his computer, Oak muttered, "I certainly would like to catch up to Ash again someday. Oh, well! Guess I'll just have to keep my eyes open still."

Delia returned to Daisy and helped her select a proper crayon for Charizard's outer hide. Still making conversation, she glanced back at Giovanni to say, "But your folks really are from here, then? What school did you go to? Maybe we've met before and didn't even know it."

At least his records search the night before had solidified some pointers for him. Giovanni was on solid ground when he lied, "I went to Westside Elementary until I left for my Pokémon journey."

Delia nodded, "My parents were on this side of town; guess we never bumped into each other after all."

Warming up to his subject, Giovanni added, "My parents stayed awhile after I left, but they finally moved to the Orange Islands. I'm afraid they've passed on since."

Delia looked up to catch his gaze. Her eyes were warmly sympathetic. "Oh. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to remind you."

"Don't be," he assured her with warmth of his own, "I wouldn't have come back if it bothered me. To be honest, I never really knew my father at all. Mom raised me. Now, her I miss." It felt weird to refer to her as 'Mom' instead of 'Mother' again. Even stranger, he'd told Delia the truth about his relationship to his father.

She was gazing deeply into his eyes, crayon clutched in her hand forgotten, for so long that Giovanni realized he was drinking in her gaze right back.

The spell broke. Delia self-consciously turned to the drawing and started filling in Charizard. "Oh?" Delia chirped with a little too much enthusiasm, "You traveled as a trainer? Then you must've been up north to Viridian City."

Giovanni, firmly reminding himself to portray humility, said, "Yes, a couple of times. It took me almost four days to reach there from here on foot." Really, he had never been so down on his luck and had no idea how long such a journey would take. But it sounded like a pretty good guess if he did say so himself.

It must've been because neither of his listeners questioned it. Instead, Delia's gaze grew dreamy as she pondered, "Viridian City. I've always wanted to see it. The skyscrapers, the shows, the nightlife--sigh"

Oak observed, "The big city's not all it's cracked up to be, Delia. Once I had the money to move my research to someplace quiet, I was quick to do it, let me tell you."

The woman had moved on to coloring the grass within the picturesque scene. "Well, I don't mean I'd want to live there. Too crowded for a homebody like me. But I'd love to visit."

Playing into his persona, Giovanni was quick to second her, "It's a bit too busy for me, too. Crowds just aren't my thing."

"Sorry to hear that," Oak responded, "I've got a little shindig coming up in a few days. Actually, Delia, I'm sure the boys could really use your help planning it."

Warmly, Delia assured him, "I'd be glad to, Professor. What's the occasion?"

Oak waved his hands dismissively, "Oh, it's just another song-and-dance number for some potential backers. There's new equipment I need, the Pokémon ranch has to be expanded, all that sort of thing. Say!" Affecting a conspiratorial air, Oak leaned out of his chair to catch both his young listeners' gazes. "If we can impress them enough to fork over some really big dough, there just might be raises all around!"

Delia squealed, drawing young Daisy's attention from her coloring. "Are you okay, Miss Delia?" the child wondered. "Yes, yes," the older female assured her as Delia resumed coloring, "Of course. I'm just excited. Now, let's see, where were we? Ah, yes, what color is Eevee? Can you tell me, sweetheart?" She threw Giovanni a quick look, adding, "Don't worry, Vance, we'll get started tonight!"

The actual planning session was pretty short. Delia's tasteful eye made the most of Oak's budget quickly. So quickly, in fact, that she and Spencer had time for some cuddling. Giovanni quickly excused himself; he wished they weren't so public about it. It made him feel voyeuristic.

Picking his way to his room, Giovanni found himself wondering why Spencer hadn't proposed marriage to Delia yet. They were more than old enough. Certainly they snuggled and smooched in such cutesy-wutesy ways all the time, so they seemed inseparable. Really, the rings would be a formality at this point.

So why was this deep, dark corner of his heart pleased about that? What, was he suddenly looking for 'attachment' or something? Giovanni shuddered. He'd been among the lower classes too long already. They were rubbing off on him. Now he was really looking forward to the party and getting back among his own level of sophistication. For a couple of hours, at least.

Giovanni peeked in on the main lab. For once, the professor had made it to his own bed, for the lab was empty.

A lightbulb went on in his mind as he saw his chance. Surely Oak was no dummy and had security cameras in the main lab; so Giovanni feigned crossing casually to the little fridge for a midnight snack. Good thing Oak was a muncher on the job, leaving him the excuse.

He just had to be careful to get an actual snack and not any of the research materials. Those wouldn't taste very good, particularly the urine samples. Going with fruit instead, Giovanni left the door open so he could study those news printouts by the fridge's light. Perhaps Oak's long-ago adventures with this mysterious Ketchum had made the papers somehow.

Giovanni blinked at the dates a few times. Why, neither article was more than a week old, much less twenty-seven years. Giovanni recognized the young couple in one shot as the Gym Leaders of distant Cerulean City. Arranged around the smiling pair were their four young daughters. The eldest was perhaps six, and the next two were right behind her in age. But there seemed to be a sizable gap until the latest arrival in her mother's arms; she couldn't be more than a year old.

There was another pair of adults his age in a similar pic, but Giovanni didn't recognize them. The tagline said they were now in charge of Pewter City Gym, past Viridian. He'd probably recognize the husband if he saw them again, he knew. The man had really bushy eyebrows atop inscrutable narrow slits for eyes. Looked like a family trait; all four of his young children (the oldest being a boy of perhaps four) had his eyes too. Giovanni wondered if the next child, due any minute if mom's huge belly was an indication, would share the look too.

Munching on his banana, Giovanni finally puzzled it out. The Williams and Harrison families had to contain Oak's old pals; like Delia's parents. Of course articles about their children, Giovanni's contemporaries, becoming Gym Leaders would catch the old man's eye.

For a moment Giovanni's suspicious mind made his eyes narrow. But only for a moment as he rejected the notion out of hand. Surely Oak wasn't interested in the young couples' children. Oak was a professor, after all, not a priest or pop rock star.

Nothing to do with the Ketchums at all, either. At least one knot in Giovanni's stomach finally undid itself for good. Enjoying his snack with renewed gusto, Giovanni closed the fridge before toddling off to bed.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	5. Chapter 5 Sacrifice

**Now**

Ash broke the surface of the water with a choked gasp. He might've reached the surface but he was still being pushed along by the underground river's fierce current. Blindly, he flailed for something to hold onto in the total darkness. He kept flipping and rolling in the waves. As he turned onto his back once more, suddenly one hand caught hold of something firm and he clutched at it eagerly. Sputtering, Ash found the object grabbing back at him with its claws.

He recoiled but the grip was made of steel. Ash was hauled out of the water and got the distinct impression he was tucked under something's arm. He tried to reach for a Pokéball but his arms were pinned at his side by his captor's own. Water was still gushing and splashing around them.

Suddenly, light appeared ahead. A pair of Clefairys were using the Flash technique to light their own way through the cavern. Their combined illumination was more than enough for Ash's abductor to swiftly ride the current toward the Clefairys. As the two wild Pokémon looked on with big eyes, Ash was thrown onto dry land. The youth's mystery benefactor leapt clear of the river as well, landing next to him with a thud.

That was too much for the Clefairys. They broke and hopped off into the darkness, chirping _"Clefairy! Clefairy!"_ and took their bioluminescence with them. Ash was too busy coughing up part of the river to see who'd rescued him before utter blackness fell again. But once he'd caught his breath, that was a problem easily rectified.

"Typhlosion! I choose you!"

The large flame shrew Pokémon appeared. Automatically, the flame jets running along his upper limbs and back blazed to life. And when they did, Typhlosion took an involuntary half-step backward, snarling, _"Typho!"_ at the image thus revealed.

Nidoking was knocking some water out of his giant ears. Other than that, the formidable Pokémon didn't look bothered by his dunk in the least. And why should he? The way Nidoking had cut through that fierce torrent of water, he had to be very familiar with his Surf Attack. Recovery complete, Nidoking turned back toward the waters to continue his search.

Ash caught his elbow. "Hey, thanks for fishing us out, Nidoking."

Nidoking blinked; with surprise, Ash suspected. Then the Pokémon merely shrugged himself free before leaping into the river.

As the Poison-Type departed, Ash finally recalled exactly where they were. The main entrance to the Dragon Cave was in the hills behind Blackthorn Gym. But when Team Rocket had stolen an artifact from Clair and he'd helped her get it back, their pursuit had brought them into the cave. And Ash had been shocked to see just how much of it wormed through the hills back then. Come to think of it, he wasn't too surprised that the river had finally eaten its way beneath the gym itself too.

_Too bad nobody inspecting the gym's battle room thought of checking,_ he reflected angrily. But Ash had to let the bitterness go. After all, he'd probably have only checked the building's floor and not what laid beneath it himself, now wouldn't he?

His musings were cut off as Typhlosion straightened up, eyes squinting. "What is it, Typhlosion?"

For a reply, the large shrew bounded forward several feet and barked, _"Tyypho!"_ sharply. Ash joined him in a split second. There---a small light among the rocks, just at the edge of the river.

It was a Pokédex's screen shining in the blackness. A quick feel of his belt assured Ash it wasn't his. The jostled machine just happened to call up one of its entries on the screen when Ash picked it up. Ash no longer had to wonder whose Pokédex it was. Only one such device could possibly have that particular Pokémon registered to it as captured and not just observed.

Giovanni's Pokédex depicted a huge Pokémon, easily sixty feet in height, shaped sort of like a green Charizard without wings. Instead he had triple rows of mismatched, wickedly sharp spikes running down his back. The creature's neck was too short and thick for a Charizard's too. And the tail held no flame at its tip, but it was as long, sinuous, and muscular as any Arbok's serpentine coils.

Ash shut the Pokédex almost as quickly as he tried to shut out the memories. That creature's golden-hued gaze of hatred had haunted his dreams for months afterward. He wasn't eager to start it running through his mind again.

From somewhere in the darkness around him, Giovanni softly asked, "I always wondered. Whatever **did** you do with that Pokémon?"

Ash and Typhlosion alike jumped. Giovanni and Nidoking had appeared from nowhere. Although soaked to the skin, Giovanni still seemed far too well-groomed to have come through the cave collapse and a rough water ride. Nidoking, of course, was equally at ease, keeping his muscular arms crossed over his chest in a display of machismo.

If they hadn't looked so well, maybe Ash would've replied nicely. But they did, so he snapped, "He's safe from you! That's all that matters!"

Giovanni shrugged. "I should've put the answer to that one into my victory conditions for this battle. I must admit you've a nasty habit of making my incredibly powerful Pokémon disappear on me, Master Trainer. First Mewtwo, then our big green mutual friend."

Much of Ash's conflicting emotions were temporarily blasted away by shock. "Mewtwo! You mean—you remember!"

"I never forgot," Giovanni assured coldly, "not completely. It took time but my mind is my own once more. I am not some weak-willed fool. And even if I was; there were physical records of the beast's existence. Its Psychic-Type powers let it erase minds, not videotapes or computer data. The fool never bothered to check."

"Then," Ash stammered, "you just gave up on Mewtwo after that time at Mt. Quena?"

"Ahhh," Giovanni observed with an upraised hand, "I've said too much already. Unless you'd care to trade information on the King of the Pocket Monsters for it---?"

Ash's disgust returned and deepened. "Everything's a deal or a battle with you, isn't it? A contest."

"That's life, Master Trainer," Giovanni spread his hands mildly. He gave Ash a quick glance of assessment before changing the subject. "Well. Shall we trade property before continuing, at least?" One hand indicated his Pokédex still in Ash's grip; the other pointed toward a barely-conscious Pikachu revealed in Nidoking's arms.

"Pikachu!" Ash automatically called. Without another second's hesitation, Ash passed Giovanni back his Pokédex to reach for the electric mouse. Quickly Ash inspected his small friend. To Ash's relief, Pikachu's brown button eyes opened slightly at his touch. _"Pikachu---"_ the Pokémon sighed.

Despite his friend's efforts at reassurance, Ash could see the beating from Nidoking had taken a real toll. He needed to get Pikachu to a Pokémon Center for immediate treatment.

And that, unfortunately, meant forfeiting the match.

Ash clenched his jaw as his eyes squeezed shut, shielding his face against Pikachu's belly for a moment as he worked up the courage to say it. Giovanni waited patiently, his face expressionless, but the hardness in his eyes saying he knew what was going through Ash's mind.

Ash felt a gentle tug at his belt and opened his eyes. Pikachu has his own little-used Pokéball in his tiny paws. Firmly, Pikachu pushed the device toward Ash as his little eyes drifted shut again.

"Pikachu---" Ash whispered, "I can't. Not even for this fight. You're more important than---than---anything!"

Pikachu's eyes became cross. In fact, it made the Pokémon look so much like Misty, Ash was sure he'd picked it up from his betrothed. And it reminded him of how much Ash had already left behind to pursue this course. The least Ash could do was accept Pikachu's offer to see it through.

Seconds later, Pikachu was safely tucked away inside the device he hated so much. Safe in a sort of stasis field the wondrous machines generated when their charges were badly hurt. Pikachu's sacrifice had bought Ash a few hours, at least. Plenty of time to see Nurse Joy.

Not to mention win this Pokémon battle, **big time**.

Ash put the Pokéball containing Pikachu on his belt with one hand, double-checking to make sure it locked into place securely. The other hand was busy adding some more water to his jacket's sleeve as Ash wiped his eyes clear.

It seemed the river had eroded some of Giovanni's self-control just as it had the walls of the Dragon Cave. He didn't bother to hide his contempt as he mused, "I can't believe those idiots spent years chasing **that** Pikachu. Why did they ever think I'd want such a weakling?" At Ash's hard stare, Giovanni straightened a little. "Well, Master Trainer," the elder male wondered, "Are you done 'bonding' with your ever-so-special little friend?"

The taxing day had done Ash's temper no good will either. "And what do you do for your Pokémon? They're just battle machines, I'll bet! It's a wonder they don't all leave you like Mewtwo did!"

Giovanni managed to drop the temperature several degrees by snapping, "People living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Master Trainer. Do you recall abandoning your entire Johto region team at home just because you wanted some shiny new Hoenn region Pokémon a few years ago? I'd wager Typhlosion there can't forget." In a voice that held very little wonder at all, Giovanni added, "I wonder how that made them feel."

"Maybe," Ash returned quietly, "it made them feel just like Mom when you left."

Giovanni's face turned to stone, narrow eyes glittering. Nidoking started to move forward with an angry grunt, but Giovanni waved him back. Aloud, he observed carefully, "No substitutions. Are you ready to give Typhlosion a battle command now, or do you need a few moments of 'bonding' with that one too?"

Ash backed away a few paces, realizing the chamber wasn't nearly big enough to match a gym's battle floor anyway. As he did so, he snapped, "You know Typhlosion is out so I can see, not battle. If you're going to hold me to that, you'd better go back and get your Parasect. That would've been your first Pokémon then." Grimly, he smiled at Giovanni as he finished, "And that would mean you broke your own rules and have forfeited the match already. Now who's not thinking about their Pokémon battles?"

Giovanni didn't smile and he didn't frown either. But the stiffness in his movements as he backed up to an imitation trainer's floor mark of his own made Ash snap at him smugly, "That's what I thought." Nidoking took his own mark in front of Giovanni as both awaited whichever of Ash's Pokémon the youth would call to battle next.

Ash knew just the Pokémon for the job, too. He reached for his belt.

**--Then--**

Several days and a lot of grunt work at Delia's bidding later, Oak's fundraising party finally arrived.

Giovanni had gone over the guest list thoroughly. There were a few famous family names in the guest list, even a few out-of-towners, but nobody he'd actually met personally. So he was able to get dressed up and wander freely. Studying himself in the mirror, he sighed anew over having to live with this middle-class stuff for his disguise. He had so many superior offerings at home.

Giovanni picked his way to one side of the house. The party was in the main room, of course. He had to admit that Delia had done a nice job. The buffet was well-stocked and the tables were nicely arranged around a viewscreen for Oak's presentation later. Delia had also splurged on some new velvet curtains. One set screened the mostly work-inhabited lab's balcony above. Across the room, the other was pulled back to allow everyone to see the moonlight through the glass adorning the much larger main balcony, overlooking the ranch. One half of the view was lit by Pallet Town's nightlife; the other was darker as the Pokémon of the ranch went about their nocturnal business.

Less impressive in Giovanni's eyes were the guest themselves. He supposed their wardrobe marked them among Pallet's elite. These name brands were only a slight cut above what he had on, however. A very slight cut. If their clothing was any judge, they didn't have much money to donate. He shook his head.

Spotting Spencer and Delia in a knot of conversation, Giovanni wandered over. As he neared, Giovanni was suddenly aware of this group's attire. Each, including Spencer, was dressed in the very well-to-do style he expected back home. His fellow assistant was enjoying the chat immensely.

Delia stood out from those around her quite well. Not because of her beauty; her dress was just so much plainer than the women around her. Her hair, as elaborate as she'd dared make it, wasn't nearly as fancy as theirs either. Even Delia's best jewelry didn't shine as well.

As Giovanni neared, he caught Delia saying, "---No, I'm afraid I've never been to Greenfield at all, much less the Crystal Palisade. It must be a fantastic resort." She made a nervous little self-effacing gesture with her hands as she spoke.

Unfortunately, Delia's embarrassment wasn't picked up just by Giovanni. The beautiful blonde across from Delia observed snidely, "Well, dear! This must be your date arriving!"

Delia's face reddened. Spencer was quick to clasp her shoulder. Despite his support, Spencer's proximity only underscored the difference between his expensive tuxedo and her dress. Trying to keep the peace but coming off as a little cavalier, Spencer offered, "No, Delia is my companion for the evening. This is our friend, Vance Ketchum."

"How do you do," Giovanni nodded politely to them all.

The blonde couldn't let it go. "Oh. My, your clothes match so well. Spencer, dear, couldn't you bring something from home for your little woman tonight?" She leaned on her boyfriend's arm a little harder. If she was a cheerleader, her date had to be a football star. He laughed nastily right along with her, but a little dimly, as if he didn't really understand all the long words.

Delia was pursing her lips. Spencer slipped an arm around her shoulders, interjecting smoothly, "Delia was far too busy preparing this wonderful party for all of us, Sophie. You should be grateful that she's a very hard-working girl."

"I can see that," Sophie assured one and all, "When was the last time you had a proper manicure, dear?"

Oh boy. Delia was getting hot now. Spencer leaned into her hair, but he didn't really try to lower his voice when he purred in her ear, "Don't mind her, sweetheart. We'll go shopping for some new clothes tomorrow."

That failed to reassure her. Delia broke free of Spencer's grip to stalk, stiffly, away toward the balcony. With a quick "Excuse me, please," to the others, Spencer went off in pursuit.

Which left Giovanni alone with them.

"Sophie, was it? That's a nice dress," he observed casually.

Her demeanor grew a lot warmer as Sophie's gaze roved over Giovanni's chest and shoulders. Smiling, Sophie nodded, "Thank you."

Giovanni added nonchalantly, "For three seasons ago."

Sophie's face fell, then quickly tightened. Her boyfriend noticed the look but was still trying to decipher the words. Had he been insulted, or just her?

"Excuse me," Giovanni nodded to the group again. He left them in his wake in favor of the buffet.

Already Giovanni almost regretted his words. He'd probably cut off any support for Oak from that quarter. And for what? Sticking up for somebody else's girlfriend? A woman he had to constantly remind himself he wasn't very interested in the more he saw of her? Sighing to himself, he wondered if he could cajole Madam Boss into picking up a few tabs through a false front instead.

He realized he could hear voices. He was on the edge of the buffet table set up next to the curtains leading outside. The speakers were muffled by glass, velvet, and distance, but thanks to low background music Giovanni could just make it out. Giovanni suddenly got very picky with loading up his plate so he could catch it all.

Delia charged, "---Why did you say that?"

Spencer returned, "What? Come on, sweetie, I stuck up for you. Would you rather I didn't?"

A bit of pacing on her part nearly drowned out her words for Giovanni. "You agreed with them! 'We'll go shopping!' You didn't have to sound so condescending about my clothes. They didn't even know I was your date! Are you afraid to be seen with me in public or something?"

"No, no," Spencer was quick to say, "Of course not."

Giovanni could almost see the seriousness of her expression in his mind's eye as silence fell with a clang outside. "Then," she challenged, "Why don't we use this wonderful evening to announce our engagement?"

"Engagement?" Spencer repeated, astonished, "Why, Delia, sweetheart, be reasonable. I don't have a ring!"

"True, you don't," she said matter-of-factly, "Since you haven't even mentioned it to me. Not once, in all this time. We've been together since school, Spencer. Did you even think of getting me a ring?"

"I—I didn't think you were interested in going that far!" Spencer interjected, "Aren't you happy with things as is?"

A sudden quavering in Delia's voice warned that tears were threatening to break through. "No, I don't suppose you thought about that either."

"Delia, sweetheart," he cooed. Her sobs were really stifled now. Probably by Spencer's chest and shoulder as she leaned on him. Suddenly angry, he charged her seriously, "You just wait here while I give that witch a piece of my mind. For both of us, okay?"

Giovanni turned his back to the partition just as the glass opened. Spencer never noticed him. He just swept past, scanning the crowd for Sophie. For a split second, Giovanni considered joining him. Sophie's boy toy looked like he could probably take both of them simultaneously if push came to shove.

Instead, he left his full plate behind. Clutching only his drink, Giovanni slipped down to the balcony's middle before entering the night air. Casually, he strolled down the balcony, pretending to enjoy the view aimlessly (and honestly enjoying a breather from the party).

He almost missed her. She'd sat on a stone bench in the lee of the curtains, turning herself into little more than a shadow. In fact it was the glimmer of tears on her cheeks that let Giovanni know she hadn't escaped inside.

"Oh!" he said with actual surprise, "Forgive my intrusion---Delia, is that you?"

She quickly wiped her tears away and forced a smile. The moonlight bleached her fair skin into porcelain. Delia's hair and lips were dark shapes clinging to her softly. When she spoke, her clean white teeth flashed gently. "Yes, it's just me, Vance. Don't mind me, I have to go back in anyway." Delia stood quickly.

"No, wait," he took a half-step between her and the glass partition, cutting off her escape with polite firmness. "Here," Giovanni continued, "Have a little punch. Just catch your breath for a moment."

Her hands shook badly as she took his cup. Giovanni automatically reached out, steadying her grip with his own. At his touch, Delia grew quite still.

Slowly, he helped her drink. Delia was staring up at him like she'd never seen him before in her life. For his part, Giovanni found her face absolutely magnetic. Her look hadn't gotten any more expensive, of course, but somehow it was just so **right** for her. Her hair was pulled up just enough; the drying tears added just the proper glitter to her cheekbones; her lips had forsaken the cup to just sit there parted very slightly as she breathed.

Her lips.

He froze, remembering his mission, remembering all he'd lose, if he leaned forward just a few more inches to kiss those perfect lips.

Suddenly coming to herself, Delia stepped around him. "Thank you, Vance," she nearly dropped the glass as she pressed it back into his hands, "For the drink. You're a true friend, yes. A friend." Then she disappeared inside, just that quick.

Giovanni leaned on the balcony's rail, studying the lipstick smeared on his cup intently. He supposed Madam Boss would be proud of his renewed resolve. Better to turn back from blowing it, no matter how close you came, right?

His lack of solace in that thought was neatly reflected by hurling the glass off the balcony. The way it shattered below was much, much more satisfying.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	6. Chapter 6 Capture

**Now**

The morning sun saw another flash of brilliance competing with it on Blackthorn Gym's grounds. No sooner did Misty appear from thin air than she ran for the heavy gates. Togetic, flapping his puny wings madly, struggled to keep up. Mimey kept pace with his own mistress as Delia chugged along behind.

At the last second before her hand closed on the ornate door handle, Misty veered off into a row of rosebushes. Black rosebushes, of course. Delia stopped to ask what was wrong, but the loud, painful sound of terribly forced retching answered her. Delia sighed and stepped into the bushes, patting her poor companion on the back endlessly. The Pokémon turned their backs to the shrubbery and moved a distance away, trying to give Misty some privacy. Mimey whistled to better ignore the sounds Misty was making. Neither Pokémon really wanted to join in with her, after all.

Misty tried to stand up and struggle on, but her legs were jelly. Inside she raged at her own body's betrayal of her, but she couldn't spare the breath to curse herself. She was too busy trying to puke her intestines up. Sensing her anger, Delia patiently cooed, "It's all right, dear, it's all right," over and over.

Suddenly a stiff breeze kicked up. For a couple of seconds, Misty felt better as the cool air swept over her. But the wind didn't pass by.

Instead it strengthened and grew with each passing second. The rosebushes whipped her fiercely now, sharp thorns slashing her bare legs; others catching in her hair and clothing every which way. She opened her mouth to protest and only succeeded in bringing up the last of her breakfast. Delia was yelling but Misty couldn't hear her over the howling wind.

Now Delia was clutching at her, trying to pull Misty along after her. Misty didn't have anything more to pass, but the shock of her sudden outbreak still had her trembling mightily. A pair of large black helicopters were settling onto the gym's grounds not too far away. The machines had no registry numbers; no markings for identification of any kind. They reminded her of government-issue vehicles she'd seen once.

So why did the hairs on her neck stand up with cold dread?

The copters' rotors were slowing. One vehicle's side doors flew open. Out jumped a few individuals of both sexes wearing black uniforms. Helmets hid their features from view completely. The newcomers completed their quasi-military arrival by forming a half-circle around the women, cutting off the Pokémon on the side.

But at least nobody had a gun in their hands.

Delia planted herself firmly between Misty and the onlookers. Misty found herself watching the reflection of Delia in the lead figure's faceplate. Confusion and bravado were fighting to rule Delia's face, she noted, and the only thing Delia could think of to say was, "Can I help you?"

Silently, the guards parted a little before her at an unheard signal.

Between them appeared someone who had been very handsome once. Somehow, Misty sensed, it had not been that long ago. Something in his eyes clued her in. Far too bright and clear for the thin, lined face they were part of. She barely glanced at the scarecrow's frame hardly concealed by an expensive white suit, so struck was she by his magnetic gaze. Short-cropped hair, now as white as his suit, held three spiky points running backwards at each temple.

Now she had it. But she was too busy panting to give a warning; both from her sickness and her shock. He looked like he'd aged a couple of decades since last month. His smile was meant to be genuine, Misty could see that in his eyes too. But his dry, tough skin pulled his face into a perfect death's head mask despite himself. His voice; soft, silky, and very smooth, remained the same at least.

"Yes," Sir Lawrence Talbot the 3rd answered slowly, "Mrs. Ketchum, I do believe you can indeed help me. Very, very much."

**--Then--**

Over the next two months, Spencer and Delia continued seeing each other. Only not as much. Giovanni noticed they didn't smooch as often, either; at least not in front of him and the professor. They didn't seem to be arguing. Yet Giovanni noticed there still was no engagement announcement either. He declined pointing this out to Oak, who was already asking Giovanni if he knew of any problems. Giovanni denied knowing anything about **that**, too.

He'd ended up spending more time with Spencer solo, naturally. And to his own hidden astonishment, liked him better with each meeting. Spencer was familiar with a well-groomed lifestyle like his own upbringing. Sure, Giovanni had to pretend to be picking it up from Spencer, but the other man was generous in his time and patient. He was never condescending when he was teaching.

Or was it, Giovanni wondered, because he was teaching a man? Spencer had odd ideas about some things for a person from the rich suburb of Goldenrod City. He wanted to get a job, probably as a researcher like Oak, for one thing. But on some issues, like how a married woman ought to be subordinate to her man, he was well in line with his contemporaries.

This was nicely reflected in Spencer's brief, occasional mentions of Delia during the small talk. Giovanni's comments were always supportive of them both yet carefully neutral. Spencer kept adding that she still needed to find a girlfriend for Giovanni, but nothing ever seemed to come of it.

The next big warning sign had come from the mouth of a babe, namely Daisy. "Why does Miss Delia cry alla time?" she'd asked her grandfather very seriously when her babysitter wasn't around.

The next day, Giovanni was convinced, Oak's daughter-in-law was sitting down for a serious talk with Delia in town someplace. He, unfortunately, had been asked by the professor himself to provide Spencer with a sounding board. Oak feared the age gap wouldn't let him reach Spencer, he said, you're his friend Vance, he said.

As he headed out to help give the Pokémon of the ranch their breakfast, Giovanni tried to analyze the emotions conflicting inside him. The very fact that there was a conflict was odd for him. He was actually stumbling a little as he walked. A passerby might've thought him drunk. Each time Delia had come up in conversation, Giovanni's self-control had frayed a little more. He doubted he could keep from yelling, "Hey, Spencer! I'm from Team Rocket, whattya think of that?" just to say **something** that didn't involve Delia.

Sternly, he grabbed hold of the tangle in his mind and stretched it out for a thorough dissection. _Strange_, Giovanni recalled musing more than once, _Spencer has known Delia for so long yet understands her so little._ The woman preferred a quiet life but would never let herself be regulated to the sidelines by another's decree. She was an equal of her man; nothing less.

Yes, if Delia truly gave a man her heart, she would stand, work, **live** beside him no matter where their entwined futures led.

Out of the blue, the vision of his future hit him. Himself, now head of Team Rocket. Delia, at his side. Even Madam Boss, nodding appreciatively of his choice in companions, wisely stepping down from her position in favor of the younger generation. He and Delia would be equals in everything; including the running of Viridian Gym above and Team Rocket below. Their combined efforts would raise the very definition of Power to grandiose heights that no one had ever dared dream of before.

And Spencer? Well, surely he'd find someone more in line with his thinking. Giovanni could see most of his own past companions at Spencer's side, easily. Shallow, empty-headed things whose greatest concern in life was their pedicures and tennis matches on Friday. He'd be quite happy with any of those pieces of fluff.

Much of Giovanni's emotional tangle quickly untangled itself at these thoughts. The wheels began turning in his mind once more. He felt more like himself than he had in weeks. Besides, it wasn't like he hadn't stolen a girl right from underneath her boyfriend's nose before.

His innermost feelings gave one last gasp of, _But Spencer's your friend! You've never even **had** a friend before!_ Aloud, he whispered, "All's fair in love and war." Then he permitted himself an evil grin to finish his misgivings off.

With renewed spring in his step, Giovanni marched heartily off into the barn.

Spencer saw him coming and offered a happy, totally unsuspecting greeting. Giovanni returned it but in a more subdued fashion. Spencer's eyebrows went up as he stopped loading bags of feed into a wheelbarrow. "Hey, Vance, are you all right, buddy?" he added.

Giovanni reached for a bag to load himself, careful to make only fleeting eye contact. "It's nothing, pal. We've got a busy day ahead of us."

"Hey," Spencer objected firmly, "You can't fool me with that act, Vance. Now, I won't twist your arm…but if there's anything I can do…?"

Giovanni sighed, then composed his face in a perfect expression of determination edging out reluctance. "Actually, it's about you, Spencer. You and Delia."

The openness in Spencer's face fled instantly. Very cautiously, he asked, "Delia? What about us?" Spencer then tried to laugh off some of Giovanni's edge with, "Has someone been spreading little rumors about us?"

"Not just any someone," Giovanni assured Spencer with the one grain of truth he had, "Daisy. Children are very honest, Spencer. We're friends. Can't you be honest with me too?" To seal the deal, Giovanni gave him a quiet half-grin filled with trust.

It worked. Spencer's entire frame drooped as a great weight sloughed off his shoulders. "Okay, okay," he admitted with half-relief, half-anger, "We've…hit a rough spot." Spencer moved away a little, staring at the racks of waiting Pokémon feed without really seeing them. "I don't know what to do, Vance," he punched the harmless food, "I'm not sure what she…wants next…"

Inwardly, Giovanni gloated. He couldn't have planned a better opening. Outwardly, he remained gravely concerned. "I think I might know what she wants next. A ring on her finger. You've been together for quite awhile. It's only natural---if you're ready for such a big step."

Spencer whirled, locking his gaze to Giovanni's. His eyes were wider than a Stantler caught in a car's headlights.

From the depths of that black abyss he called a soul, Giovanni summoned up all the false sincerity he possessed. "Spencer, Spencer, my friend," he said knowingly, "This can only get worse if you keep letting it drag on. Tell you what." Giovanni smoothly went around the wheelbarrow to drape his arm across Spencer's shoulder reassuringly. "I know you. You see a future with her back home, in Greenfield, right? And she's not sure if she wants that."

Spencer refused to meet Giovanni's gaze right now, instead staring intently down at his own shoes. Giovanni began walking back toward the house, gently pulling Spencer along at his side. "Spencer," he counseled sagely, "make sure of where you both stand before you take that next big step. The professor will gladly give the two of you some time off. Bring Delia home with you for a few days. Show her the life you intend to build for her. Then just…go from there."

Spencer's head snapped up, new resolve shining in his eyes. "You're right. You're absolutely right." He pulled free of Giovanni's embrace, only to proffer a hand. Giovanni took up the handshake offer firmly. Suddenly Spencer pulled him closer, into a brotherly embrace. Giovanni returned it. Spencer continued, "Thank you. You're a true friend, Vance."

The men released each other. Spencer glanced around. "Uh, you think anybody saw that?"

"Nope," Giovanni was quick to reassure him, "And I won't tell if you won't."

"Agreed," Spencer continued, "I'll go talk to Prof. Oak right now. See you soon, Vance." He began almost skipping up the walk, only to pause and throw Giovanni a wink. "Don't break too many girls' hearts while we're gone, okay, big guy?"

"I'll try," Giovanni's beard hid the sharp edge to his grin, "Take care of yourself, Spencer. And take good care of her."

Spencer flashed a grin of his own before heading away.

Unseen by the other man, Giovanni's own smile remained frozen in place for a long moment after he'd disappeared. The corners did not droop, nor did the flash of teeth lose their heartiness. If anything, the grin grew wider.

But the smile did not light his eyes in a friendly way at all.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	7. Chapter 7 Conflict

**Now**

In the depths of the Dragon Cave, Ash called out, "Blastoise, I choose you!"

Released from his Pokéball, the massive blue tortoise reared back on his hind feet. Blastoise whipped out a set of jet-black sunglasses to prop across his broad, flat snout; a sure sign of his utter seriousness about the battle.

"A Water-Type. How predictable," Giovanni almost yawned.

Ash grinned to himself. Giovanni wasn't the only one who could exploit Pokémon elemental natures, after all. "Blastoise, go with Hydro Pump, now!"

Twin water cannons popped from his shell above his shoulders as Blastoise bent double. With a surge of pressure that only Blastoise's immense weight could hold back, the Hydro Pump burst forth toward Nidoking.

Giovanni stepped smoothly over to the side, lest he get washed back into the underground river by a miss. Sharply, he barked, "Use Surf, Nidoking. Ride the wave!"

Nidoking leapt feet-first into the twin streams of powerful water. Within seconds, he was balanced carefully yet firmly on the gallons of water roiling beneath him. Elated, Nidoking threw back his head to roar defiance that shook the stalactites across the roof. Blastoise's attack merely continued to chew into the rock walls behind them.

Giovanni added, "Thunderbolt!"

Ash replied, "Stop with the waterworks, Blastoise! Try Body Slam!"

Blastoise's response proved a little too slow (he **was** a turtle, after all). Nidoking, still riding the Hydro Pump barrage, sent a bolt of electricity riding the stream right back to its maker. Blastoise was rooted to the spot, unconsciously continuing to spew water from his cannons, as the electricity flowed across his powerful form.

Naturally, the Ground-Type Nidoking was still quite unaffected by the electric barrage.

Ash decided on a change of tactics. Seeing the paralysis was wearing off, he commanded Blastoise, "Keep Hydro Pump going…but cross the streams!"

"_Blastoise!"_ bellowed his Pokémon. The water cannons swung toward each other, and when their beams met, Nidoking was at the center of the eruption. The purple Pokémon was blown off his clawed feet across the chamber. When Nidoking hit, the wall and floor alike cracked; but this time it all held.

As Giovanni recalled his unconscious battler, Ash took the opportunity to gloat a little. "One for one. Even odds now…**_Dad_**."

Ash was pleased to see Giovanni recoil at the word. Good. The older man wasn't the only one who could needle you to death with a sarcastic title, anyway.

As the youth had expected, Giovanni quickly reminded, "The battle is far from over, Master Trainer. Persian, I choose you." In an instant the evolved form of a Meowth appeared. Bone-white fur with creamy points on a long, graceful feline form would've been very pretty…except for the look in Persian's narrow yellow eyes. The slash cat hissed menacingly as he arched his back.

_Hmmm_, Ash thought, _So Giovanni has more than just Ground-Types on his squad after all._ Even though most Pokémon Gyms specialized in a theme, there were never any rules against it, so Giovanni was in the clear. Not that it should be a big problem in this case. Neither Persian nor Blastoise had an type advantage or weakness here. Still, it might not hurt to slow the speedy feline down. "Body Slam, Blastoise!"

Giovanni smirked, "Persian, use Thunderbolt."

Again Persian arched himself up, his fur rippling into angry spikes along his spine. And from his spine rose a bolt of compressed static electricity that rippled across the chamber, striking Blastoise squarely in the face. Ash yelped, "Blastoise, use Withdraw to escape! Hurry!"

Blastoise quickly sucked all his appendages into his wide shell. The Thunderbolt kept crackling, seeking a way in, but Blastoise was shut up tighter than a Cloyster at a pearl divers' convention.

"Save your energy, Persian," Giovanni prompted, "he can't hide forever."

Ash's mind raced, suddenly hitting on a memory of another Gym Match when his Pokémon had first learned the most powerful Water-Type move of all. "Blastoise!" he cried, "Remember how you did Hydro Pump when you were a Squirtle? Reverse your cannons and go for it!"

Blastoise did indeed remember. Before he'd fully evolved, he hadn't grown his biocannons yet, so he'd been forced to expel Hydro Pump from the limb sockets of his shell instead. In an instant the giant turtle became a water-propelled whirlwind spinning crazily through the air toward Persian.

Which would've been a very good tactic on Ash's part if the cave chamber wasn't so small.

The Hydro Pump splashed everywhere in seconds. Everywhere. Ash, Giovanni, Persian, and Typhlosion alike were all doused and dashed against the rough-hewn walls. Typhlosion's flame jets went out and with it, all the light. Blind as a Zubat, Blastoise's jet-propelled body missed Persian. The Water-Type sailed right over and crashed into the same section of wall where Nidoking had been vanquished earlier.

As Blastoise came out of his shell and wobbled dizzily to his feet, the others tried to pick themselves up from the half-flooded room around him. Typhlosion blazed light once again, but this time it had more to do with his rage than anything else. Part of the release from his jets wasn't really fire; it was pure steam, the flame shrew was so furious. Typhlosion spit and snarled at his friend Blastoise in a fashion that made Ash glad he couldn't speak Pokémon.

Blastoise could only smile and spread his hands apologetically.

Giovanni opened his mouth to give Ash a colorful opinion on his battle tactics, but was interrupted by a loud _crack_.

All eyes turned to a large fissure in the wall, near the edge of the river where the water had long been eroding the rock anyway, that had appeared.

Another crack. And another. The wall was riddled with spiderweb cracks, now, tracing their way up to the ceiling. A ceiling full of sharp stalactites gleamed heartily in Typhlosion's reflected light.

The group broke and ran.

Nimble for his bulk, Typhlosion had the lead going into the corridor with Ash a close second. Persian caught up and passed them both in a streak of hissing white lightning. Bringing up the rear, Blastoise fell down and belly-whopped across the smoothly worn rock toward safety. Along the way he scooped up Giovanni onto his back.

The troupe was free of the chamber, but still the Dragon Cave rumbled and shook around them. Ash kept running, hoping the distant Persian knew where he was going. Blastoise swept his master off his feet, joining Ash to Giovanni on his shell. Typhlosion leapt on too, using his wide torso to pin the humans between himself and Blastoise securely. A burst of Hydro Pump from his legs sent Blastoise racing after Persian.

All the while, the rain of rock fell steadily closer behind.

The passageway turned into a narrow path beside the raging river once more. It didn't seem to slow the crumbling cave any, but Blastoise was able to dive into the waves and pour on the steam. The sure-footed Persian was also maintaining speed as he dashed along the increasingly slim footholds along the side.

Daylight appeared around the next bend. The first to reach it by a wide margin, Persian skidded to a horrified stop, peering wide-eyed out into the sunlight. He made to turn back, but the passing Blastoise grabbed him firmly with a free hand.

Mere seconds ahead of the rock, the group flew free of the Dragon Cave in a torrent of dirt and shale.

Right out of a sheer cliff face. Into open air.

For a long, beautiful, peaceful second, Ash spit out some dust and got to contemplate the wonderful view of the countryside from up there.

Then they fell.

**--Then--**

Delia came back up the hallway from tucking their newborn son in. Giovanni paused his channel-surfing to watch her. She was clad only in her underwear and a bathrobe. She hadn't spared the energy for her slippers and her hair was a mess. She certainly couldn't summon up the juice for a postpartum workout yet. Still, Giovanni knew she'd lose the rest of her pregnancy baggage swiftly once she put her mind to it. But he doubted she'd lose the broader figure she now sported. Delia would always be slender by a woman's standards, but nobody would mistake her for a girl ever again.

The television provided the only light in the living room currently. Her wedding ring's jewels caught the light and bounced it around, much like her eyes. She was exhausted but very, very happy. His wife sat down, leaning her back against his chest. He asked her, "Is Ash all set?"

"Yes," she replied as her eyes drifted shut.

Giovanni laughed a little under his breath. "Shall I carry you down there and tuck you in too?"

"That would be wonderful," Delia confessed in a sleepy voice. She yawned widely as if to reinforce her point.

Giovanni put the remote down. As he did so, the home-shopping channel caught his attention for moment. "That's a nice backyard set," he observed, "Would you like it, dear?"

Delia peeled one of her eyes open to check it out. "It is nice. That would be great for picnics and barbecues, once we get that house…" Her voice trailed off so sharply, Giovanni was afraid she'd fallen asleep. She finally continued, regretfully, "But we can't afford that price."

"Who says we can't?" Giovanni reminded her, "My mother did leave me a very pretty penny, you know." Inside, he reminded himself that Delia wasn't quite ready to know the truth yet. Giovanni had never dared imagine that the very wedge he'd relied on to split Delia from Spencer would cause him so much trouble. Ten months now he'd tried to stoke the fires of want he could see in Delia's eyes over the rich, famous lifestyle. Ten months she kept refusing to be baited, despite herself. Those fools in Greenfield must've treated her even worse than he'd thought.

Delia sat up to meet his gaze squarely. "And we shouldn't waste it! This apartment, all the furniture we've got in it already! Besides, we might've paid off his birth already, but Ash will need a lot more money to take care of in the future, you know."

"It's for you and Ash," Giovanni offered, "It's no burden."

Delia returned, "There's a difference between wanting and needing, dear. Don't waste money on trinkets we can live without."

Giovanni grinned at her, recalling the look on her face a few months back. "That's not what you said on our honeymoon. I thought you were going to try and buy out every clothing store in Viridian City."

Delia's cheeks flushed slightly, but with shame, not anger. "I reined myself in. I wasn't greedy."

Giovanni reached out gently to stroke her chin. She responded to the familiar gesture as always; by twiddling some of his long hair with own grip. Giovanni added, "That you did. We did pick up a few things, though. I saw the look in your eyes, sweetheart. A few bits and pieces we left behind still have your name on them, I'll wager."

"The next step is a house. Then we can decide what to put in it." She smiled softly to take the sting out of her words.

Hopefully, Giovanni asked, "Meaning that one in Viridian we looked at?"

Instantly Delia brought up another old argument. "Oh, Vance, that's so far away! From my parents, from my friends! What about that nice place we saw up the street from Daisy's? Then Ash would have two little friends close by already. One of them just his own age, too! I'll bet he and Gary would be two peas in a pod."

It had been quite a coincidence that Professor Oak's son had started expecting a new grandchild at the same time Giovanni and Delia married. Giovanni had taken it as a good omen. At least, until Delia kept using it as an argument against moving to Viridian.

Now she was cupping his face with her hand instead. "My love," she breathed, "I know it doesn't seem like a big deal to you. You were pulled around so much when you were young." Tenderly, she leaned forward and hugged him tight. "Ash needs roots, my dear, sweet love."

"Yes, he does," Giovanni returned a bit sharply. His patience over this matter was wearing thin. "But our son deserves only the best, sweetheart. And you know he can do better in Viridian than here in Pallet. The schools, the job opportunities he'll have when he grows up, not to mention the connections he can make among our own class of people."

Well. His very first slip of the tongue with her. Almost a year since they'd met; not bad at all.

She didn't like that term in the least. She recoiled physically from it and him as well. "**Our** class? You mean like those snobs in Greenfield? I won't have our son becoming a empty-headed little rich boy!"

Giovanni found himself sitting up too, countering the strength in Delia's pose with his own. "You'd rather he just stay here all his life? Small town, small life, dear heart." A wave of his arm encompassed the little apartment and the meager middle-class belongings within it. "There's a whole wide world out there, and Ash deserves a better place in it!"

"All the money and connections in the world can't get you happiness!" she charged loudly, "The big city can't give you that, I've seen it! Not like family can!"

Giovanni's response was poised on his lips, but it was forgotten in the burst of sound from their son's bedroom. Delia was instantly on her feet, off to console him even as she cried, "I'm sorry, Ash, I'm so sorry! Ohh…"

He listened intently for a moment. Reassured that his son was reacting merely to their argument and not a deeper problem, Giovanni turned his attention to the television. Even as he flipped a few channels, the wheels kept turning in his mind, trying to come up with the best phrase to smooth over the disturbance. Finally he decided to just let it go for now. He'd just have to keep working on adjusting her attitude, that's all.

The squeaky wheel in his mind wondered if she would ever change hers. As always, he ignored it.

Giovanni realized he was staring at the news channel without really seeing it. It was the high-pitched howl of raging winds from the TV that finally broke through his exhausted funk. He tuned in as the newscaster remarked, "…That's right, Dan. It's almost a holiday here in Shell Rock Town, now that the hurricane has passed on toward Sternbreak Island. But that's not the only reason the townspeople are giddy. It's not every day a legendary Pokémon knocks on your door."

Intrigued, Giovanni leaned forward.

News Boy leaned backward a little, allowing his cameraman to pan around a bit. Giovanni realized it had to be a live broadcast, literally man-on-the-street. The hurricane proper had obviously smashed through the coastal town mere hours, if not moments, before. Thankfully, the rainy aftermath was far less severe. Well away over the ocean now, the storm was visible against the night only via its own internal flashes of lightning.

The reporter continued narrating, "We haven't seen any sign that there's a Mew here, Dan, but not even this downpour can dampen the spirits of Shell Rock's true believers. We'll be talking to some of them in a moment, right after---"

He got no further as his own cameraman screamed, "Look out!"

Light smeared wet streaks across the lens, blurring vision. Giovanni could just make out the side of a house appearing above and behind the reporter from the rain. Along with the rest of the heavily damaged building, it was falling apart and spilling into the street. Both reporter and cameraman tried to race away. The cameraman kept shooting, but he was backing up so hurriedly that the modern camera's automatic compensation devices couldn't keep up with the crazily swinging view.

With horrible certainty, the thick, old-fashioned chimney pulled itself loose from its moorings. It swung down like the couple of tons of brick it was upon the men. Even the cameraman screamed, blocking his own lens with an upraised arm to ward off the death descending on him. The view went black---

And then lit again, brightly.

The dropped camera had landed squarely on its back. The street was clearly visible, rain still splashing into puddles all around it. But the sky was lit by a soft pink glow, almost an aurora of gently rippling light. No, energy. Holding the bricks firmly in midair. Completely untouched, the newscaster returned to view, with eyes only for the materials suspended mere inches from his head. "What---what's happening?" he muttered aloud. Slowly, not being able to believe his own eyes, the reporter reached for the shattered chimney to confirm what he was seeing.

In that instant the bricks were shunt away. They joined the rest of the house's wreckage in a fairly neat pile back where they'd started from, leaving the roadway clear.

Again the view spun crazily as the cameraman retrieved his device. "There! Over there!" the reporter shouted, pointing. Desperately, the camera spun after his gesture, but was too late. A trail of the same energy, falling from the sky as glittering pink pixie dust, was the only thing caught on film. In seconds even that was gone, save for the memory.

The reporter stepped forward, face white and hands shaking. "It was beautiful, Dan," he whispered into the camera, "It was so beautiful. I'll never make fun of those Pokémon kooks again, I swear. Mew is real!" Then he laughed, more than a little hysterically. "They're all real! They were right all along; they do exist! Jirachi, Kyogre, Lugia! I believe it all now!"

Safely back in his studio (probably in Viridian, no less), the anchorman said firmly, "Now Steve, let's not be hasty here. Just about any Psychic-Type can lift a few bricks. That doesn't mean some extinct Pokémon came back from the grave just now."

Also safe in his living room, Giovanni snapped, "Fool. Can't you believe the evidence of your own eyes?" He pulled on his beard in thought, trying to recall Shell Rock Town's whereabouts. It was a town so small it didn't qualify for a dot on the map; so it took him a moment. Down the coast from Pallet to the east, inbetween here and the inlets leading to Vermillion City, he finally pegged it.

He was probably the closest agent to Shell Rock by far. Still, pursuit of Mew wasn't a thought entertained lightly, despite its helpful actions just now. As far as the subsequent investigation had been able to determine, Jane and her two-man team had been destroyed by Mew triggering an avalanche. Such power, combined with such ruthlessness when its neck was on the line, made Mew a fierce opponent when she was cornered.

Giovanni could appreciate that. He'd have done the same, in Mew's shoes.

But on the other hand, if he captured a living legend, one that even the indomitable Jane had failed to conquer, what then? Why, a well-earned status as a living legend himself, that's what. Not only Delia, but Madam Boss would have to see things his way overnight. He wouldn't just be restored to Rocket Executive status, oh no. Something far grander would be his very shortly.

The vision of his future that had haunted him since he'd planted those seeds in Spencer's mind came to him more vividly than ever.

He was pulled from his mental meandering when he realized Delia was watching him quietly from the hallway. Ash was wrapped up softly in her arms, finally asleep again. Quietly, she wondered, "Vance, are you all right? What happened?" Something in his eyes frightened her when she looked into them.

"Yes, yes, keep watching dear, I'm sure they'll repeat it in a moment," he patted the couch beside him invitingly. Her movements were still a little halting as she approached him, so he tried to tone his enthusiasm down somewhat. Then Giovanni noted something in the shadows of the kitchen and let out a honest sigh. "Oh, I forgot to take the trash out. Here, sit down." Letting Delia take his place on the couch, Giovanni retrieved the portable phone in one hand and the big bag of trash in the other.

As he passed her on his way out, Giovanni prompted, "I'll call the professor. Wait until you see the news, sweetheart! You won't believe your eyes!" Quite merrily, Giovanni picked his way out of the apartment, down the hall and the stairs alike, and into the parking lot. Soon he pitched the bag into the huge bins along the lot's side. Turning back toward his home, Giovanni flipped open the portable phone to dial up Oak.

And stopped at the sight of a large, jet-black stretch limousine that had silently appeared between him and the safety of the apartments. Waiting. He didn't have to look at the license plate. Somehow, he just **knew**. He snapped the phone back shut again.

Giovanni gulped, just a little, as he cast his eyes about. The parking lot was empty on this side; nobody wanted the trash bins' stench to cling to their vehicle. There was nowhere to hide. Setting a stiff upper lip, Giovanni advanced steadily toward the car. After standing by the passenger door for a few seconds failed to get results, Giovanni pulled it open himself.

Only then did the door opposite him open. Giovanni was shocked to see Dr. Fisher getting out and closing the door behind her. What was his mother's personal physician, a hermit if ever there was one, doing here? The doctor refused to meet his gaze, much less greet him. With her back to him, the old woman moved a polite distance from the limousine.

He got the answer as he got into the limo. Madam Boss leaned heavily against the seat, neck thrown back against the headrests. "My son," she croaked as he shut the door onto the night. Her voice was as weak as her frame; Madam Boss could barely turn her head to peer at him.

His astonishment stole his own voice from him. Giovanni could only gape at her pale skin when he took Madam's hand in his. "Mother," he replied, fear tightening his own voice, "What happened? What can I do?"

"Cancer," she replied matter-of-factly, "Dr. Fisher reports the worst is behind me." For a moment, Madam Boss summoned up a bit of her old fire. She lifted her head and faced him directly to ask, "Do I really look that bad to you? You look like you've seen a Haunter, my son."

The mention of a rare Pokémon brought to mind a thought that just might cheer her up, even in her present state. "Mother, did you see the news just now? Another Mew sighting---I can confirm it myself, it was a live broadcast!"

"Really? After all these years?" Madam's eyes narrowed as she seemed to wonder if her son was patronizing her.

"Yes!" Giovanni replied, "I have to go, Mother. I have to catch that Pokémon. First, I'll have to---uh, well, I---"

Now Madam did finally smile, ever so slightly. "You'll have to what? Introduce me to your wife? Or just pretend I'm not even out here? I suppose she thinks I'm dead already."

Mother and son now sported matching pallors as the blood drained from Giovanni's entire body, he was certain of it. He managed to ask, "How long have you known?"

"A couple of months. You hid yourself well." The effort of holding her head up having exhausted her, Madam Boss leaned back onto the cushions before continuing. "You really have become an excellent undercover agent, my son. Full of guile and cutthroat as the day is long. But consider this: I taught you everything **you** know; but not everything **I** know. Not yet, anyway." She shifted a little, trying to get comfortable, as she added, "Still, I must admit, I've looked forward to meeting the woman who could steal your heart. How cunning she must be!"

Oh boy. Giovanni's mouth dropped open.

Noticing this, Madam Boss fixed him with a gaze that grew increasingly steely after each question she asked. "Well, she is, isn't she? Ruthless? Deadly as she is strong? Beautiful as she is cruel? Merciless to any who oppose her?" Not liking Giovanni's lack of response, Madam Boss tightened her grip in Giovanni's own. "Can you trust her? Shall I take your new family back to Viridian tonight? Show her Team Rocket and what the future can be for her and my granddaughter?"

"That's grand**son**," Giovanni was quick to correct her.

Her face fell notably. "Hmm, false intelligence. I'll have to deal with Agent 20 later."

Giovanni tried to reassure her even as he tried to reinforce his own visions of Delia coming around to their way of life. "She's---I'm trying to change her. She wants the good life, deep inside. She wants a bright future for our boy. I know she does. She just fears the change, right now. She had a bad experience."

Recomposing herself, Madam Boss used the last of her physical strength to pull free of Giovanni's grip. Her hand flopped listlessly onto the seat as she intoned firmly, "Then it seems you face a choice, my son."

She continued, "My time is growing short. I can't wait for your bride's mind to change. If I'm to instruct you in everything you'll need to know to take my place, we must start soon." Her gaze grew dull as she gathered her strength, staring up into the limo's ceiling light emptily.

The sight of her weakness made Giovanni's heart leap into this throat. Surely she wasn't really that sick, surely she had more time than, what? A week? Two? Then his face lit up. "If I can catch Mew, she'll follow me, Mother. Anywhere. I'm sure of it. You brought your private jet here, didn't you?" She nodded; just barely.

The stretch limo was spacious enough for Giovanni to literally get on his knees. "Mother, please. I beg of you. Let me take Oak there in your plane; tonight. Give me the chance. Please."

For a moment, Giovanni feared his mother had passed out from sheer exhaustion. Finally, her eyes remaining cold and empty, she responded, "Very well. You have fourty-two hours." A strange little smile found its way to her pale, drawn lips as she added, "She must be something special after all, to make you beg." Giovanni nodded and reached for the door handle to let himself out.

Madam Boss did not move, but the quiet steel of her voice stopped him as surely as the firmest grip. "Make no mistake; the choice is yours my son, and it will be final. I shall honor it fully, no matter which path you take."

Meaning he would be disowned by his own family if he failed, Giovanni knew. In fact, Madam Boss would probably discredit him badly in case Giovanni got petty and tried to reveal Team Rocket's existence to the law. No family of stature would want anything to do with a little town nutball. Delia and Ash would never get the sort of life they deserved as part of his family.

Automatically, Giovanni pushed thoughts of failure away. "There's only the one hotel in this town," he requested of her, "Will you wait for me there, please?" At another barely perceptible nod, he took his leave of her for the moment.

On his way back to his apartment, Giovanni got ahold of Oak on the phone after all. He ended up filling Delia in on his plan at the same time as the professor, throwing a few necessities in his travel bag all the while.

Delia still had their son in her arms. Ash remained exhausted and quite asleep in her arms. Despite how Delia was still fluttering around her husband. "I don't like it, Vance. What if that hurricane turns back around? You don't know what might happen. Both of you should stay right here, where it's safe!" That last bit was delivered with extra volume to make it across the phone line to Oak's ears.

If Oak heard, he didn't give any message for Giovanni to pass on to her. Finished packing, Giovanni shut the phone off too. "Delia, sweetie, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Mew is so rare, people think they died out centuries ago! Just think what it'll mean for us---for Ash---if I, er, we catch it!" Giovanni faced her directly once more. She was discomforted by his intensity again, he could tell, but he was losing ground to Mew with each second. He had to keep moving.

"That news flash didn't prove anything," she protested as she followed him across their apartment, "Are you really going to risk your life over something so silly? You don't have anything to prove to me!" When he ignored that line of reasoning to open the door and shoulder his travel bag, Delia quickly tried another tack. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said before. Why don't we discuss it in the morning?"

Giovanni settled for giving her a quick peck on the cheek as he headed for the door. "Fame and fortune! Those rich snobs will be coming to us now! It'll be their turn to grovel; for you!" Sure that the thought would please her, Giovanni stepped out of the apartment.

Behind him, Delia called out, "Wait! I don't want money or power! Or even just stupid revenge! All I want is you! All I need…!" If he heard her, Giovanni showed no sign. He vanished into the stairwell. Leaning on the doorjamb, she had trouble picking up her own last quiet plea herself. "…all I need is you, Vance. That's all I'll ever truly need. Please, come back to me. To us."

With their son in her arms, Delia slowly retreated into their apartment.

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


	8. Chapter 8 The Future Revealed

**Now**

As they fell down the waterfall, the unbalanced group pitched forward. Blastoise's biocannons reappeared, once more spewing a furious Hydro Pump to slow their fall. For most of their plunge, it worked. With only six feet to go, Typhlosion lost his grip on Blastoise's smooth, wet shell. Everyone fell apart and into a small lake fed by the same waterfall they'd plunged down.

Blastoise was back to the surface in an instant, securing his master and Typhlosion, before powering toward shore. The beefy Water-Type put his charges down quickly and raced back into the waves for Giovanni and Persian.

Ash moaned and sat up. Mom was gonna kill him. His tux was a total loss. At least a quick check of his inner lapel and belt revealed all his stuff had miraculously stayed with him again.

A series of resounding screeches drew Ash's attention. Blastoise had stomped back onto the narrow beach, clutching Giovanni and Persian under each arm. Persian was absolutely beside himself. The soaked slash cat was spitting and shrieking; twisting and turning; only Blastoise's thick shell was preventing him from being mauled to pieces. Blastoise set them both down.

Instantly Persian was on the opposite side of Giovanni from Blastoise. With a last disdainful flick of his tail for his rescuer, Persian began trying to lick his clumpy, dripping fur back into place. Giovanni was trying to pull himself together too, coughing out bits of the Dragon Cave and smoothing his badly damaged suit. It was hard to say which horribly disheveled personage was clinging to their tattered dignity more.

Ash ignored them in favor of turning to his own Pokémon. Typhlosion was soaked through and through, but no trace of anger showed this time. Instead he and Blastoise gripped each other's forelimbs firmly, eyes shining with mutual respect and brotherly love at their near escape. Then Typhlosion broke the clench, giving Blastoise a good-natured slap on the shoulder.

Relieved that his friends had buried the hatchet so fast, Ash glanced back to their erstwhile opponents. Giovanni had moved off across the grassy field, accompanied by the still-preening Persian. Ash turned back to his Pokémon to observe, very loudly, "Thanks for saving us, guys!" Then he glared over his shoulder, waiting to see if Giovanni could at least be polite.

Very carefully, Giovanni refastened his suit's lapels as he observed, "I do see the most interesting places whenever you're around, Master Trainer. First a volcano, now a cavernous waterfall. What beautiful, exotic locale do you intend us to fall off next?"

"You and Nidoking started it this time," Ash returned hotly.

Giovanni almost shrugged. "Then if you're ready, it's time to finish it."

Ash waved Typhlosion to the rear. The Fire-Type could use the extra time outside of his Pokéball to finish drying off. Blastoise, of course, stepped ahead of his master and into position. Ash could only grit his teeth with frustration at not being allowed substitutions as he watched Blastoise move. Between battling earlier and saving all their bacon a few minutes ago, Blastoise was exhausted.

Yet Ash didn't need to see the Pokémon's eyes behind his sunglasses to know Blastoise would rather go down fighting. Belying his shaking limbs, Blastoise reared back and bellowed a challenge so loud he sent the lake's surface skipping. Ash added, "Body Slam, Blastoise!"

In an off-hand manner, Giovanni commanded, "Persian, Thunderbolt, please."

Persian's unblinking gaze focused on Ash. Ash gulped as the image of the vengeful Normal-Type cutting him to ribbons leapt to mind.

But Persian was too professional to attack the opposing trainer directly; in a Gym Match at least. Luckily for Ash. The Thunderbolt snapped and cracked; Blastoise collapsed onto his broad back. As Ash ran to comfort his friend, Persian went back to licking his fur straight in a highly contemptuous fashion.

It was Ash's turn to clasp Blastoise's clawed hand firmly. "I can't thank you enough, old buddy," Ash stooped a little more to pick up the dislodged sunglasses. "No matter what else happens today, I'll be around to see tomorrow thanks to you. Again." Gently, he pushed the sunglasses back into their rightful place as Blastoise's eyes shone.

His Pokéball scooped up Blastoise and his eyewear alike for a very well-deserved rest. For a couple of seconds, Ash considered which remaining team member to send in. Typhlosion eagerly stepped up, barking, _"Typhlosion!"_ and puffing up his chest. The shrew's impressive body heat had dried him out completely already.

Ash bit his lip. "Sorry, buddy, I can't. Ground-Types, remember?"

Typhlosion visibly deflated. With big eyes, the Fire-Type whined a couple of times, too quietly for Giovanni to hear from there. Firmly, Ash reminded, "There's been enough sacrifices today, remember? Let's make sure none of them were in vain." Evidently Typhlosion couldn't argue with that logic. He quit begging and returned to his Pokéball meekly.

Facing his opponent once more, Ash called out, "Venusaur, I choose you!"

The large, flat quadruped reptile appeared in a menacing crouch, growling low in his throat as he shook himself angrily. The large palm tree growing from his back rattled with the sound of dead leaves stirring in the fall breeze. Venusaur's huge eyes were narrowed with the intensity of a laser.

"Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded.

For his part, Giovanni responded, "Persian, use Slash."

Venusaur's upper ring of palm fronds parted to reveal rows of half-formed yet razor-edged leaves. With a flick of his tree, the half Grass-Type sent a barrage of them soaring across the field. The attack cut deeply---into the ground where Persian had been. In one smooth leap, Persian evaded the Razor Leaf and closed the distance on his opponent. Persian's forepaws cut twice, drawing large symmetrical gashes in Venusaur's side.

"_Venusaur!"_ Ash's Pokémon groaned in pain.

"Try Body Slam!" Ash ordered.

For once, Persian wasn't fast enough. Leafy tentacles snaked out from Venusaur's branches to ensnare Persian's wrists like a cowboy tying up his young Tauros. A quick snap of the tentacles later and Persian was halfway back to Giovanni before the Normal-Type slammed back to earth. Persian yowled piteously.

"Free yourself, Persian. Bite Attack," Giovanni prompted.

Here Ash had thought nothing could be sharper than Persian's claws. But judging by how fast Venusaur let go, Persian's maw was no place to find part of yourself. Thinking he had a second while Persian got his paws under him again, Venusaur sucked his tentacles back to kiss their wounds gently.

He didn't have the second. Persian was up and moving at Giovanni's cry of, "Slash Attack, now!"

Venusaur's tentacles snapped out, trying to form a barrier between them, but Persian's dancing blades cut through. Persian lit into Venusaur in a spray of sap-like blood and shredded leaves. Venusaur actually backed up from the furious assault, moaning. His hindquarters fell to their knees and Venusaur found himself looking through his non-blackened eye at his gloating opponent.

Sensing victory as well, Giovanni permitted a tiny smile to grace his cold visage. "Finish it, Persian. Another Slash, if you please."

But Ash could only smile back, sure that his ace would play well in this particular hole. "Venusaur, use Giga Drain!"

As Venusaur's tentacles closed in, Persian got to work slashing them out of the way once more. Yet his earlier effort were catching up with the Normal-Type; his furious strokes slowed. Suddenly Venusaur had Persian firmly ensnared in an iron grip. Little barbs in the tentacles slid out and beneath Persian's skin. The cat yowled once more as the Giga Drain literally sapped his strength to replenish Venusaur's own.

"Bite Attack!" Giovanni reminded.

One good chomp later and Persian had his freedom once more. Venusaur backed up, giving his unsteady foe an one-eyed appraisal. Persian hissed once; a menacing promise. Then the cat, with the highest degree of disdain possible, turned his back to Venusaur and curled up for a nap.

"_Venusaur!"_ the Grass-Type bellowed angrily. Without waiting for a command, he reached out swiftly for a little revenge.

Giovanni returned his beaten Pokémon to his Pokéball in a flash of light.

Denied, Venusaur snorted.

Ash got in a jibe of his own by saying, "Two for two, dear ol' Dad. Which Ground-Type are you going to send out now?" He stepped forward a little, laying his hand on Venusaur's side. As if Giovanni needed a reminder of the power Grass-Types had over his preferred choice of Pokémon.

Giovanni had reined in his earlier exuberance to restore his cold mask to its place. "Truly," Giovanni observed, "Your arrogance knows no bounds, Master Trainer. If I wasn't used to facing elemental types strong against Ground, then my Pokémon wouldn't know moves like Thunderbolt and Surf, would they? Or even…" He paused as he pulled his next Pokéball out.

The female counterpart to his Nidoking appeared in a blaze of glory. Nidoqueen was slightly smaller overall, blue instead of purple, and her horns were only half her boyfriend's size. But her frame was packed just as tight with muscle, culminating in legs and a tail each thicker than Ash's whole body. She didn't bother with a macho display like her teammates did. She didn't need to. Nidoqueen simply loomed ominously across the battlefield at her foes.

Ash started to sweat. Yes, Nidoqueen was a Ground-Type. But only half. Like Venusaur, she was also half-Poison. The complex elemental combinations possible from two dual-type Pokémon on the field added up to one thing right now: Venusaur's Grass moves would be severely weakened. And if Nidoqueen had an attack of another type that beat Grass yet was neutral to Poison, like, say…

Giovanni finally finished, "…Ice Beam, now!"

"_Nidoqueen!"_ she snapped and lowered her head. Energy focused in her central horn, then blasted out from her forehead with a bone-cold crackle.

And Ash saw his chance. If Venusaur could only survive long enough to exploit it. "Dodge it, Venusaur!"

Desperately, Venusaur tucked limbs and palm tree alike against his body to roll sideways. Nidoqueen's Ice Beam chased him for a few yards before she paused to catch her breath. Venusaur stood and bellowed, sure by the glint in his master's eye that Ash was onto something.

He was. "Venusaur, use Mimic! Ice Beam, now!"

Venusaur reached within and centered himself. For an instant, the Grass-Type used his deeply rooted connection to the world around him. His mind flowed over the grass quick-frozen by Nidoqueen's assault. He studied it, analyzed it, and in the devastation saw how it was done. No to mention how to do it himself, for a time at least.

The green behemoth leaned forward, allowing the bole of his tree to become a cannon's barrel. No cries of rage or battle; Venusaur held onto his eerie calm even as the Ice Beam burst forth from his fronds.

"Nidoqueen, Ice Beam!" Giovanni roared.

Both Pokémon were fresh (thanks to Giga Drain, at least) and determined to end the battle at last. Their blasts met in the middle. Sprays of ice sawed off the competing beams, chewing angrily at each other for dominance. Each trainer egged their partner on, and the battling titans poured on the juice. Fog quickly formed to spread from the center of their assault across the battlefield.

Ash couldn't see the beams, but he trusted Venusaur to keep the fight going. His faith was not misplaced. Still calm, still assured, Venusaur's chin was resting against his curled forelimbs to save his energy. He allowed his tree to whip back and forth instead, parrying Nidoqueen's efforts steadily.

Meanwhile, both Nidoqueen and her trainer's composure was starting to fade. "Nidoqueen!" Giovanni snapped, "Quit fooling around and **end this**!" Between blasts, Nidoqueen threw a glance to her master. Was it just the fog between them clouding his view, or did Ash see fear in her eyes? Not of himself or Venusaur; of her own master.

Giovanni saw him looking. And the look of pity in Ash's eyes inflamed Giovanni's own.

Together, the humans cried, "Ice Beam, now!"

The Pokémons' beams stabbed out, one last time.

Nidoqueen's shaky assault went wild.

Venusaur smoothly, calmly coated Nidoqueen with ice from heel to chin.

The ice froze solid near instantly. "Nidoqueen, break free," Giovanni snapped, "Body Slam!"

Nidoqueen's massive bulk strained and heaved, but the ice enclosing her was relentless in its grip. She turned her head, wide-eyed, to her master.

Giovanni's anger smoldered in his eyes, in his swift and angry steps toward her. "Break free, I said!" he roared, his hands raised into clawed fists as if he would shatter the ice with his own bare hands if she couldn't. Maybe break Nidoqueen's face too.

The huge, mighty Nidoqueen whimpered before Giovanni's familiar rage. She turned away from him now, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Through the drifting fog, Ash's voice cut firmly. "Leave her alone. It's over. Recall your Pokémon." His own Pokémon echoed him firmly, _"Venus!"_

Giovanni tried to pull himself together, but there was something manic and fierce in his gaze. "Oh, no, Master Trainer," his voice was oddly strained, "You'll never get anywhere in life doing things halfway. Finish it, if you've got the guts!"

Ash's jaw dropped.

Venusaur, maintaining his Mimic-induced calm once more, rustled his leaves as he waited for his friend's orders.

Impatiently, Giovanni prompted, "Go ahead! Prove yourself a Pokémon Master! You've already left behind your bride, your mother, everything you value most to face me today! For both our sakes', **finish it!**"

For a second Ash's anger flared again. "I'm not like you! I didn't just leave them! I left Mom and Misty behind because I love them! Because I'd do anything rather than see you hurt them!" Realizing he was gasping for breath, Ash paused to catch it. But he couldn't resist one last jab. "That's right! I care what happens to them! Besides, Misty was sick!"

Surprise chased away Giovanni's rage momentarily. "Sick?" he echoed, "Like what? Vomiting?"

"Yeah," Ash confirmed.

Giovanni continued, "But no fever?"

"No fever," Ash said.

Giovanni added, "No chills either?"

"No, none of that," Ash responded, feeling like he'd had this conversation before, "It's just teleport sickness."

Giovanni actually laughed. It was a cold, mocking sound; somehow angry and desperate at the same time. Wiping a tear from his eye, Giovanni managed to say, "No it isn't! It's morning sickness! She's pregnant, you moron! Pregnant! And you left! Just like I did, all those years ago! You…you think you're better than me! And you did the same bloody thing! Oh, ha-ha, that is truly rich!"

Suddenly, in that instant, Ash saw the man facing him. Truly saw him. Or, rather, saw himself standing across the field. And that realization made him rock back on his heels.

"I'm just like you," Ash whispered to himself in his astonishment, "It's too late already…I'm just like you…selfish…"

In an instant Venusaur leaned on him, Typhlosion on his other side. Sneasel wound gently around his feet, purring softly and making it hard to stay up. He couldn't speak their language, but he knew each and every Pokémon was cooing soft comfort. And it sent his mind back.

Remembering. How many days of his life had been spent with them? Rainy days, sunny days. Sometimes training hard for battle, sometimes just kickin' back for some fun together. They'd tasted victory and defeat alike more times than he could hope to count. And each time, he'd thanked them for working with him. He'd praised them, and said this would be the last time he'd ask so much of them. Until the next time, and the time after that.

Not to mention his human friends. Just one more trip, guys, just one more place to see. One more adventure, just bear with me again, Misty---Brock---May---Tracey---

Because I do love you all in the end.

His jaw clenched. "Venusaur, let's finish it."

Surprised, Venusaur choked, _"Venus?"_

Ash smiled to add, "My way."

Venusaur nodded and stepped away.

"Venusaur, Body Slam!---Gently!" Ash commanded.

Softly, Venusaur reached out to lightly tip Nidoqueen onto her side.

Giovanni was beside himself. "She's still conscious! I said finish it! Or do you forfeit the match!"

Quietly, Ash began recalling his Pokémon to their respective Pokéballs. "I won, fair and square, and you know it. That's the best you're gonna get." Done with his task, he faced Giovanni's rage squarely with calm pity. "I don't care if you don't live up to your end of the bargain. I didn't really expect you to, anyway. You're a liar through and through."

Giovanni sputtered, trying to come up with the best expression of hate for the situation.

Smoothly, Ash intercepted him with, "You've been right about a lot of things today. I'll never be perfect, but I'll try my best to be better to everybody I love from now on. And I'll always be a sight better than you. At least I have people and Pokémon who love me back; despite myself, sometimes."

Astounded, Giovanni turned to Nidoqueen for support. Still she refused to face him, still she whimpered slightly in anticipation of his punishment. And it wasn't the slowly melting ice making watery tracks down her usually-fierce visage. It was her tears.

Ash, shaking his head slowly, said, "You've earned everything you've got in your life today. I hope you're happy with it. I really do." A light wind began lifting the fog away as Ash turned his back on his father. Smoothly, he walked away and without a backward glance.

**--Then--**

A few hours later, Giovanni and Oak were on the beach of Sternbreak Island.

A quick radio call ahead to Shell Rock Town on the mainland had confirmed that the hurricane had kept going out to sea after hitting the island. Emergency services had things pretty well in hand on shore, so Oak was convinced that Mew had moved on too. Sternbreak was a fairly active volcanic site which left it uninhabited; by humans at least. The professor hoped Mew might still be on the isle, helping out wild Pokémon who had found themselves victims of the hurricane's fury.

Privately, Giovanni was still convinced that any humans who'd encountered Mew were still breathing just because they hadn't tried to capture it. Not liking the idea of confronting a furious Pokémon over open ocean if Mew was still riding the hurricane's coattails, Giovanni had gone along with Oak's theory.

Now he was eyeing their rented boat and wondering if a change in plans wasn't in order. Naturally, there wasn't any airstrip to land Madam Boss' jet on the island, so they'd had to get the boat. Perhaps he should suggest to Oak that the professor remain while he go back for the jet and a little aerial reconnaissance. Sternbreak was bigger than he'd thought and time was wasting.

This plan in mind, Giovanni began picking his way along the rocky shore, looking for the older man. This side of the island was rough-hewn to start with; full of rocky little inlets and sharp hills. The hurricane's passage had only made it worse. A few mini-rockslides and downed palm trees obstructing his path slowed Giovanni greatly as he searched for his companion.

He picked the wrong bit of fallen rocks to try and cross. They gave under his weight. His flashlight went flying from his grip. Giovanni slipped onto his butt, then rode the slope right down into the water. Hitting the bottom, Giovanni yelped with pain; the waves were only inches deep. And loaded with sharp coral. Giovanni felt the back of his legs and his rear gingerly. He could feel blood there, but not much.

Satisfied that the incident was more a blow to his pride than his body, Giovanni glanced around as he stood up. He'd fallen into a little cul-de-sac looking out onto the water. There was his flashlight. Good thing the waves weren't very deep here after all. Giovanni walked over and reached down for it.

The flashlight flew into the air on strings of pink energy. Giovanni blinked. Like a puppeteer with her marionette, the small Pokémon drew the flashlight into her grip overhead. Intent on the device, the creature floated nonchalantly in midair as he stared.

It had to be Mew, was all he could think of. Repeatedly the thought chased through his mind as he watched her. Yes, her. Somehow he knew that too. She was so tiny. How could something barely a foot tall be known for her strength? And she was so…so…**cute**. That was the only word that fit. Pink and fuzzy and just so cuddly. Big blue eyes on a catlike face, staring down into the flashlight clutched in her short forepaws. Her legs were longer and capped with little white pads on the backs of her toes. Mew swished her thin, sinuous tail as she clicked the flashlight on and off a few times. _"Mew! Mew!"_ she chuckled happily at her new toy. Even her voice was sweet.

Ah, Giovanni suddenly knew what he was looking at. This was a young creature. Yes, yes, that had to be it. Surely the legendary Pokémon grew much bigger than **that**. This was a wonderful chance to capture a vulnerable, immature Mew and study her lifecycle as she grew. And who knew what more powerful form (or, dare he think it, forms?) Mew could evolve into?

The vision of his future danced before him. Hands trembling, Giovanni slowly reached for the Pokéballs at his waist.

As he did, Mew seemed to really notice him for the first time. Halfway to his Pokéball, Giovanni's hand froze. His eyes widened as Mew's gaze flickered between Giovanni and the flashlight. Mew flew right up into his face.

Giovanni gasped and fell backwards, both hands raised in a futile attempt to ward off her attack. He'd been too slow, he cursed himself, now he'd die at Mew's feet just like Jane had long ago; fools both!

But all he heard was an inquisitive, _"Mew?"_ Instead of an attack, all he felt was his flashlight gently pressed back into his hands. Giovanni dared open his eyes.

Mew was studying the wounds on his legs now. Her tiny brow furrowed; waves of energy rippled out from her small body. Wherever they touched on Giovanni's form, the cuts and bruises vanished as if they'd never been.

The longer he stared at Mew, the bigger Giovanni's eyes got and the whiter his face became. "No, it can't be," he whispered more to himself than to her, "It can't be---the most powerful Pokémon of them all---cannot also be the kindest, the gentlest---"

"_Mew?"_ she put tiny paws on tiny hips, as if she'd really said, _Why not?_

Giovanni cried, "Get away from me!" as he splashed to his feet. Mew backed up a few feet, casting him a reproachful look at his way of thanking her. Giovanni felt a deep stab of guilt at that. He shoved it away, trying to drum up his earlier determination. "You're my one-way ticket to the top of the world, Mew!" Actually saying it helped.

The wheels began turning. Once again, the vision of the future he wanted so desperately appeared before him. Himself once more, Giovanni smiled brittlely at the Pokémon. "If you think I'm wasting this chance, you're sadly mistaken."

Mew did indeed seem to grow very sad at his words.

Giovanni cried, "Go, Scyther! Fury Cutter!" as he pulled the Pokéball from his belt.

Or tried to, anyway. Giovanni tugged at the Pokéball, but it must've gotten jammed into the belt's holder when he fell. It just wouldn't come loose. Switching Pokéballs, Giovanni yelled, "Gengar, I choose you!" He couldn't get that one free either. In fact, judging by how firmly his Pokémon team was stuck to his side, Giovanni doubted he could pry them loose with a crowbar.

Realizing what was happening, Giovanni turned his helpless rage toward the cause of it. "You!" he charged Mew fiercely, "You're doing this, aren't you!"

"_Mew,"_ she assured him firmly and quite unnecessarily. Then she spun around to float slowly away, completely untouched, toward the open ocean.

The wheels of his mind thrust the vision of his future back to him. Giovanni couldn't give up, he was so close! A different strategy was called for. Yes, yes, if it had worked on Madam Boss' heart of stone, surely this goody-goody Pokémon would soften.

For the second time in his life, not to mention that evening, Giovanni fell to his knees. "Please, Mew," he begged. Begged even harder than he had with Madam Boss. "Please come back with me."

Surprised, Mew paused and looked back. Now it was her turn to have wide eyes.

Giovanni tried to pour it on. But the false pathos wouldn't come. Instead, after months and months of constant pretending, he found the truth breaking forth through the mighty dam of his self-control. "Please! My wife, my son! For their sakes, I need this!"

Mew cocked her head to one side, pondering.

Hope rose in Giovanni's chest. "You'll do it, won't you? For them? Please?"

The vision of his future grew painfully bright in his mind. Never before had it been so close, so detailed, so real---

And it was, he realized, tainted pink.

Mew was not a fool. The telepathic Pokémon was testing the truth of his words. And he had left the doorway to his mind wide open with his earnest plea. He remained rooted to the spot, the curious feeling of Mew rifling through his consciousness transfixing him. It didn't hurt at all, she was so gentle; but it certainly felt strange.

For an instant the vision of his future warbled in his mind's eye. Giovanni turned his attention back to it. At first glance, it remained the same as always. He still smiled to legions of Team Rocket members at his beck and call. Madam Boss still passed the torch proudly at one side. And on the other---

No one.

"What!" he barked in reality, "Why!"

Mew's face only grew sadder. She started floating backwards swiftly, and Giovanni knew she only wished to spare him more pain. His rage returned; deep, black, and full. "No! I have been honest with you! Finish it!"

Mew did so. She was not predicting the future so much, Giovanni realized, as merely stripping away his fantasies. Mew projected the truth into his mind and he knew it was so, even as he saw it written there.

He was guilty of the same thing Spencer had been. He knew Delia, knew her quite well. And had ignored the obvious facts about what she could and could not do.

He could probably get Delia to appreciate a rich, fancy lifestyle, yes. Everyone had a little greed, a little pride. But she would never stand for anything Team Rocket did. Her inner strength, her clarity of purpose, her honesty, and her love for everything in all the world; these were the things that set her apart from every other woman Giovanni had ever known.

And these very things that had attracted him to her meant she had no more evil in her soul than Mew did.

In fact, if Delia knew what he was, she would be horrified. Repulsed! Disgusted!

She might even openly oppose Team Rocket. Report him to the cops, the feds, somebody. Or, perhaps, Delia would fight him directly. Herself.

Perhaps the best he could hope for would be that Delia might try to turn him away to a new life on the straight and narrow path. For real this time.

And a path he simply did not want to take.

Madam Boss was **dying**. He couldn't leave his mother, let her dreams perish with her, give up all his riches and glory!

The wheels turned, offering one last defense. But no. He couldn't just keep fooling Delia. The truth **would** come out at some point; it had to. They were married; they had a son. It wasn't like fooling Oak. And his fears would be made real on the day Delia learned the truth.

If he couldn't have Delia, then he might as well have Team Rocket.

For whatever cold comfort it would provide.

Somewhere in the darkest depths of himself, Giovanni filed away the second reason he wouldn't continue the charade with Delia. She had always been honest with him. She deserved it in return.

Jane had been right. Her life, and death, had provided Giovanni with an example of what **not** to do. Yet he'd made the same mistakes she had. The best he could do now was follow her last example; he too would have to give his child up. Start fresh.

Silent tears traced their way down the cheeks of human and Pokémon alike.

Oak's voice above broke the silence. "Vance! Where are you! The hurricane has circled back, we've got to go! Vance!"

Mew looked up sharply. Not toward Oak's distant call, but toward the whirling storm clouds that had appeared overhead in seconds. Before even the Pokémon could react, the hurricane's fury roared across the beach. The winds, funneled by the narrow cul-de-sac, dashed Giovanni back and forth against the walls. His scream was snatched away by the howling storm.

Mew blasted into the skies, throwing herself headlong into the hurricane. For a moment the tiny pink spark danced, nearly smothered by the roiling blackness. Then the racing winds slowed; the rain dribbled away; the lightning stopped its dance. Swiftly, firmly, the hurricane became a lesser tropical storm. Then a rainshower, then a mere sprinkle. Finally the last remnants of the storm gently blew those final clouds away.

The stars glittered overhead, crisp and clear to the horizon now. Mew floated back down, but not toward Giovanni. Over further on the beach. Despite his wounds, Giovanni clambered up and over the rock wall to follow her.

As he'd suspected, Oak lay on the sand in a heap. Mew tended his wounds gently. She didn't even seem to be exerting herself yet, Giovanni noted with awe. As for Oak, he remained unconscious. That didn't surprise Giovanni. He'd been badly battered by the storm. Combined with the sudden reversal of his wounds, not matter how gently Mew did it, the old man would probably need awhile to recover from the trauma.

Even as she worked on Oak, Mew spared a little psychic energy to see to Giovanni's treatment. He considered physically grabbing her and trying to stuff her in an empty Pokéball after all. Mew threw him a warning glance. Remembering the hurricane's demise, he took her seriously.

Soon Giovanni lifted Oak into the boat. Mew had even pulled it up from the bottom of the bay for him, before she left. Giovanni piloted it far to the side of Shell Rock Town. There, the lights of the little town would guide Oak to safety when he awakened. Giovanni left the professor on the beach and not the boat, lest the tide take him out after all.

With that, Vance Ketchum died. And with him, the vision of his future.

As for himself, Giovanni picked his way to the modest little airstrip. The jet and her crew waited patiently for him. Soon he would stop in Pallet Town, but only to pick up his mother. Then it was on to Viridian City and the future waiting for him there.

Madam Boss had been right too. The choice had always been his, and it was very final indeed. She kept her word. She honored it by never asking him about what had happened that day. Not once, up through the day she died almost a month later.

The first thing Giovanni did after her funeral was assign some of his brokers to permanently monitor Vance Ketchum's trust fund. It was in Delia's name now, of course. It wasn't a huge portfolio or a flashy one. He ordered them to make only modest, solid investments so as not to waste it. The money earned should be just enough that she might not have to work again unless she wanted to. Certainly, enough to take care of her and her son, until perhaps he went to college.

The next task Giovanni set himself was contacting certain researchers on Cinnabar Island. Their work was very interesting. They were attempting to bring back extinct species of Pokémon via cloning. Perhaps, if Mew society made them all such good-hearted busybodies, Giovanni could one day have a Mew he could mold and shape to his own heart's desires from its birth forward. If the continued attempts to capture a wild one, or any other infamous Pokémon, kept failing, anyway.

His final order on his first day was something of a whim. If pressed, Giovanni would be at a loss to say exactly what sparked the idea. Nevertheless, he sent a large team off to investigate the last known coordinates of Jane Miyamoto, high in the frozen Andes Mountains of South America.

After all, her body had never been recovered.

**Now**

A single black helicopter appeared some distance away.

Curious, Ash found he could only increase his walking speed a little. The day had exhausted him. Not to mention how he was a little reluctant to present himself just then. He had to look like a pile of Miltank dung. Tux ripped to shreds, hair disheveled, filthy down to his pores, and striding out of a mixture of icy fog with rocky cave dust.

The helicopter settled and disgorged a pair of burly dudes in black. Swiftly, they set a red-haired burden down between them. A medium-sized cage was placed beside their captive. Then, to Ash's astonishment, the copter reclaimed its charges before vanishing over the treetops.

Ash found the strength to run over after all. On his knees, he took Misty's shoulders to his chest to begin untying her hands. "Misty!" he cried, "Say something! Are you okay?" She'd been tied up, but wasn't gagged. Strange. Ash sniffed as he tugged her out of her restraints. No sign of a Spore Attack; perhaps Misty had fallen victim to a Hypnosis assault. He paused in freeing her to pull her eyelid open. Misty's pupil dilated at him sluggishly. Yeah, Hypnosis had to be it.

By the time he had her hands unbound, Misty was woozily trying to straighten up and tug her feet free herself. "Ash," she slurred at him, "Where's everybody? Togetic?"

From the cage nearby, Togetic chirped reassuringly. Ash didn't notice Mimey slumped, still unconscious, in the cage behind him.

Ash glanced at Misty's waist. Her captors had clamped a police-issue restraint collar around her belt and the Pokéballs clipped to it. No unauthorized Pokémon appearances, even without their trainer to order them, please. He couldn't actually see them to count their number for certain, but the care taken to leave her in good health made Ash say firmly, "They're all here, Misty, all your Pokémon are here. Everything's just fine."

And looking at her waist reminded him of Giovanni's words.

His reassuring grin at her suddenly grew very silly. "Wow---I don't believe it! We're going to have a baby! I just can't believe it! But you're okay, everything's gonna be okay now---"

Misty gently clasped the sides of Ash's face with both hands. "Ash," she said, her own cheeks flushing a little, "Ash, listen to me."

"What?" he paused in working on her feet.

"I'm not pregnant," she responded firmly, "It really is just teleport sickness. I tested myself at Delia's house." He looked so crestfallen that tears appeared in her eyes as Misty added, "Oh, I knew you'd think that! Don't worry, don't worry!" Now her warm smile belied her tears. "We'll just have to keep trying, won't we?"

Reassured, Ash piped up, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess we will." She was free, and Ash took her in his arms for a passionate kiss.

But when they separated, Ash looked a little cross. "Hey, you mean Mom had a pregnancy test handy? What did she have **that** for?"

Misty was spared replying as a loud _thud_ sounded nearby and the couple jumped.

It was Giovanni's Parasect, throw onto its back, quite unconscious. It looked like somebody had beaten it so with their bare hands. No, her hands. Right behind the Pokémon was Clair, astride her freshly-landed Dragonite, looking like she was going to spit a Dragonbreath Attack herself. "So!" the warrior woman snarled, "Think you can demolish the Dragon Cave and everything around it, do you? Think again!"

The wave of her arm took in the countryside, which was still belching smoke into the air as other parts of the cave crumbled. The last of the Ice Beam fog swirled around her, casting strange highlights on her sharply angled face. Doubtless the disturbance had led Clair here just as it had the mysterious helicopter. She continued roaring, "Your little friends might've escaped, but this is it for you! Dragonite, let's go! Dragonbreath, now!"

Ash jumped to his feet, crying, "Wait, Clair! It's me! Ash! Wait!"

Clair's blue eyes narrowed, "Ash? Ash Ketchum?" Realization dawning, she swung off her mount. "Misty Williams? What in the world of Pokémon happened to you! Are you two all right?" Clair leaned down from her imposing height to help Misty to her feet. She found herself holding Ash up somewhat too.

Instead of Ash, another male voice answered Clair's query softly. "I believe this is for you, Master Trainer." And this time, perhaps forever more, the title was bereft of any irony.

Giovanni passed over a holocard recorder he'd plucked from the grass without another word. Togetic, released from his cage by Giovanni as well, flapped up to peer over Ash and Misty's shoulders as the young man activated it.

Lawrence III appeared in miniature atop the card. He bowed as deeply and graciously as his cane would allow. "Mr. Ketchum, Ms. Williams," he said politely, "I hope this message finds you in good health, despite the sizable hole in the battle room's floor. Perhaps you'll grace me with an explanation for your actions when next we meet. Provided that Gym Leader Clair doesn't execute you outright for damaging her gym, of course. She can be rather severe." Lawrence III gave his death's head grin again.

"At least," Lawrence III continued, "I am assured of your good health, Ms. Williams. Several handy sport drinks should have restored some hydration to your system. May I suggest you make a stop at the nearest hospital for your own safety? I do apologize to you; it was quite unseemly to take a prisoner in such ill health. Thus you have been freed to make amends."

Ash got a sinking feeling in his gut that said where this was going.

Lawrence III didn't disappoint him. "Alas, your companion was in far better condition. I do believe Delia Ketchum will be keeping me company for some time. Really, my gain for certain; she seems to be quite a delightful woman." The scope of the recording changed; Lawrence III's face overshadowed the rest of him as it grew to life-size proportions. "Consider this an invitation, Mr. Ketchum. I'll see you soon, I'm sure."

Ash's fist automatically went through the hologram. Essentially harmless, but it did disperse the nasty smile on Lawrence III's face. Ash got some satisfaction from that.

Clair maintained her firm grip on the couple's waists. "Let me get you two over to the hospital," she ordered gravely.

"No time," Ash automatically countered.

For a response, Clair simply let go of Ash. He tumbled into an exhausted heap at her feet. Eyebrow raising, the Dragon Lady promptly pulled him back up. "Really? Are you sure?" she said without sarcasm.

Ash sighed through gritted teeth, "You're right, Clair, you're right. Let's go."

"Besides," Misty prompted, "We don't know where Lawrence III set up shop after Sternbreak Island. We'll have to track him down first anyway."

Very quietly, Giovanni offered, "I may be able to help with that."

All three of his fellow humans really noticed he was there for the first time.

A bit self-consciously, Giovanni straightened his shoulders. "I still have some…connections." After making sure a revived Mimey was steady at his side, Giovanni dared look into Ash's eyes squarely. "I will help. If you'll let me."

Misty and Clair alike held their breath, although the older woman wasn't sure why.

"For Mom's sake," Ash held out his hand.

Giovanni shook it firmly.

The deal done and with Nidoqueen and Parasect already returned to their Pokéballs, the men waited as Clair helped Misty onto Dragonite. Clair glanced at Giovanni, observing, "Didn't you used to be the Viridian Gym Leader? Giovanni, right? I don't think I ever caught your full name." At his nod, she offered a quick handshake of her own. Still, Clair wondered, "What brought you here?"

Without blinking a eyelash, Giovanni began lying. "Master Ketchum and I were tracking agents of Lawrence's Army---"

Ash stepped inbetween them. "Clair, I'll tell you what really went down, once Misty's safe, I swear. Okay?"

"Okay," she responded, her steely eyes flicking back and forth between Ash and Giovanni's faces, "But don't you try to weasel out of it, Ash Ketchum." Her words were meant as a very real warning, but the look in Ash's eyes let Clair know she shouldn't have bothered. She softened, at least as much as Clair ever did. Ash would tell her, no matter how painful it might be for him.

Or, Giovanni winced as he saddled up, for **him**. The former Gym Leader had plenty of time to study Clair's muscular back morosely as Dragonite winged his way toward Blackthorn City.

**Wait a minute! It can't be over already! Oh, no, I shouldn't have used my omniscient powers as the Narrator to let you all see Giovanni's past yet! I've jumped the gun and used up too much of our time together. Oh, Raticates! Curse my curiosity!**

**Before even Ash and Misty know all the details, too. My, my, my! I am rusty, I must pull myself together!**

**Ahem! What could Lawrence III have up his sleeve for our heroes? Where could he possibly be holding Delia? Can Giovanni really be trusted when the chips are down?**

**Let's not forget our other friends! What's going on with the Harrison family? Will Brock and Duplica be all right? How about the Morgans? Are they hitting off work in their gym swimmingly or just going down for the third time?**

**Or could Lawrence III merely be drawing each and every one of them into the tangled web he's weaving? Oooo….**

**I hope you've enjoyed this second trip into the _future_ world of Pokémon!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**To Be Continued…**

Text, original characters, and events Copyright © 2006 Keith E. Kimball. This is a fan work and not for profit.

All other characters, events, and trademarks Copyright © their respective holders including but not limited to Nintendo Company Ltd., GameFreak, The Pokémon Company, Shogakukan Production Inc., 4Kids Entertainment, etc.


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